Some of life’s most transformative moments sneak up on us unannounced. They’re not the ones we pencil into our planners or brace ourselves for—they’re the spontaneous interruptions, the ones that catch us off guard and leave a permanent mark. As someone who has spent a lifetime studying the Bible, I find these moments mirrored in Scripture, and few stand out to me as vividly as the unexpected entrance of Simon of Cyrene.
Who is this man, named in all three synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—and what can his fleeting, yet profound role teach us about living a life of purpose? Simon’s story has always captivated me. A North African traveler, likely in Jerusalem for Passover, he was simply going about his day when Roman soldiers plucked him from the crowd and thrust the cross of Jesus into his hands (Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26). What strikes me isn’t just that Matthew, Mark, and Luke all call him by name—a rarity for minor characters—but that he was a Gentile, not a Jew. In that single, unplanned act, Simon embodies the very message Jesus preached: that salvation isn’t exclusive, but a gift for all. For me, it’s a spectacular snapshot of God’s grace, played out on the road to Golgotha.
What hits me hardest about Simon’s story is the sheer suddenness of it all. Mark tells us he was “coming in from the country” (Mark 15:21), possibly weary from travel, maybe just hoping to blend into the Passover bustle. Then, in an instant, his plans were upended.
The Unexpected Call to Serve
Roman soldiers didn’t ask for volunteers; they demanded his help. That abrupt call to carry Jesus’ cross is a perfect metaphor for the Christian life. The call to serve, or to step into someone else’s suffering, doesn’t wait for a convenient season. It arrives when we least expect it, testing our readiness to set aside comfort and follow where Christ leads.
Simon’s role sure wasn’t glamorous, but it was essential. By shouldering the cross, he gave Jesus a moment of reprieve, ensuring He could reach the hill where redemption would unfold. I love that image: a stranger, an outsider, playing a pivotal part in God’s plan simply by saying yes—to the burden placed before him.
It reminds me that our own acts of service, no matter how big or small, can ripple into eternity. At United Church Homes, we talk a lot about abundant aging—living with purpose and vitality at every stage of life. Simon’s story whispers to us that purpose often finds us in the interruptions, in the moments we’re asked to lift someone else’s load.
If Anyone Would Come After Me
Luke’s account adds a detail that always stops me in my tracks: Simon carried the cross “behind Jesus” (Luke 23:26). I can’t help but recall Jesus’ words: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
Simon wasn’t just a bystander pressed into service; he became a living picture of discipleship. Following Jesus meant walking in His steps—quite literally-- even when the path was rugged and the load heavy. Isn’t that the challenge? To keep following, to keep serving, even when it’s hard and uncomfortable.
Simon’s brief encounter with Jesus spurs some internal questions for me. Would I step out from the safety of the sidelines when someone needs me, even if it’s messy or inconvenient? Am I willing to get my hands dirty, to stand with the hurting or the outcast, when society might rather look away? Simon’s example challenges me to ask: Am I living as a disciple—ready to bear the cross—or am I content to stay a nameless face in the crowd, choosing what’s easy?
Simon of Cyrene didn’t set out to make history. He didn’t wake up that morning planning to carry the cross of the Savior. Yet in one unexpected, world-altering moment, he did. His story is another example that God often works through the unplanned, weaving our lives into His greater purpose. Maybe that’s the lesson here: to stay open, to say yes, and to trust that even our heaviest—most reluctant steps-- can lead us closer to Christ.
Matthew 27:32: As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross.
Mark 15:21: And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.
Luke 23:26: And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.
For Reflection (either individually or with a group)
Read the blog. Read it a second time, maybe reading it aloud or asking someone else to read it aloud so you can hear it with different intonation and emphases. Invite the Divine to open your heart to allow the light of new understanding to pierce the shadows of embedded assumptions, stereotypes, and ways of thinking so that you may live more abundantly. Then spend some time with the following questions together with anything or anyone who helps you reflect more deeply.
Download a pdf including the Reflection Questions to share and discuss with friends, family, or members of your faith community small group.