‘And when they led him away, they sequestrated one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid on him the cross, to bear it after Jesus.'
These few words cover a multitude of suffering. Luke omits mention of how the soldiers also engaged in horseplay towards Him (Mark 15:16-20). And then in His bloodied and broken state He would be taken from Pilate's presence and stood in the midst of four soldiers with His crosspiece over His shoulder and the procession would then move forwards as fast as the prisoner's condition would allow. Ahead would march a soldier bearing the accusation, ‘This is the King of the Jews'. He would then be led throughout the many streets of Jerusalem as an example from which all should take warning, while the passing crowds looked on, some in pity, others in contempt. But gradually the leaden weight, reacting on His physical weakness and pain, would be too much for Him, and He would sink to His knees. Dragged up again and forced to continue He would seek to do so, until at length it was clear even to the hardened soldiers that He could carry it no more. Outwardly He was a broken man. He seemingly had nothing left to give.
Then the soldiers would glance around, and using the powers granted to them by Rome, would select a passer-by or spectator to bear the cross for Jesus. It just happened that they chose a man from Cyrene in Africa, who probably looked burly and strong, whose name was Simon. And to him they delegated the cross. There is good reason to believe that the man was never the same again, for the mention of the names of his two sons by Mark suggests that he became a Christian (Mark 15:21). And ‘he bore it after Jesus'. We can hardly doubt that Luke had in mind Jesus' words in Luke 9:23; Luke 14:27. Now all would know what was involved in taking up the cross as never before.
‘Coming from the country' may suggest that he was a poor man who had come to the Passover and was camped outside Jerusalem, although within the permitted area. Or it may signify that he had arrived late for the Passover because he had been delayed.
But note that Luke expresses this all in a few simple words. There is no thought of drawing attention to Jesus' sufferings. His concern is with their significance. The Lamb of God is going forward to die (John 1:29).