Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 27:32

"And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to go [with them], that he might bear his cross." — Matthew 27:32 (ASV)

And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

Perhaps they were afraid that Christ would die from exhaustion; so they compelled Simon to bear his cross. Any one of Christ's followers might have wished to have been this man of Cyrene; but we need not envy him, for there is a cross for each of us to carry.

Oh! that we were as willing to bear Christ's cross as Christ was to bear our sins on his cross! If anything happens to us by way of persecution or ridicule for our Lord's sake, and the gospel's, let us cheerfully endure it. As knights are made by a stroke from the sovereign's sword, so shall we become princes in Christ's realm as he lays his cross on our shoulders.

And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

It was too heavy for him to carry alone, so they commanded Simon to help him; and, truly, I think that Simon was highly honored by this. If this was Simon, who is called Niger, then there may be some truth in the common belief that he was a black man; and, surely, Black people have long had to carry a very heavy cross, yet there may be a great destiny before them. All Christ's followers are called to be cross-bearers.

"Did Simon bear the cross alone,
And all the rest go free?
No, there's a cross for everyone,
And there's a cross for me."

If we belong to Christ, we must be as willing to take up his cross as he was to carry ours, and die upon it.

And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

I wonder if he was a black man. There was a Simon in the early Church; and it certainly was the lot of the Ethiopian to bear the cross for many and many an age. This Simon was a stranger, anyhow, and a foreigner; truly honoured was he to be compelled to bear the cross after Christ.

And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

Anyone of us might well have wished to have been Simon, yet we need not envy him.

There is a cross for everyone who is a follower of the Crucified; may we have grace to carry it after him!

Perhaps they were afraid that Christ would die from exhaustion, so they compelled Simon to bear his cross.

Any one of Christ’s followers might have wished to have been this man of Cyrene, but we need not envy him, for there is a cross for each of us to carry.

Oh, that we were as willing to bear Christ’s cross as Christ was to bear our sins on His cross! If anything happens to us by way of persecution or ridicule for our Lord’s sake and the Gospel’s, let us cheerfully endure it.

As knights are made by a stroke from the sovereign’s sword, so shall we become princes in Christ’s realm as He lays His cross on our shoulders.