The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-06-06
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

Judgment Hall or PrRtorium. Sentence OF |
death had been passed. Pilot had just deiiv- |
cred him to the mob, and the Victim was pass |
ing down the steps and into the crowd of sol |
diers who were to lead him off to execution. I
Back of the soldiers were the raging people |
jeering at Christ His own clothing had been I
put ON after the crowd had made sport of him, |
pretending he was their King.
Gustave Dore seized on this moment in |
Chrst's life for that grand painting of his |
Christ Leaving the Pretorium." 1t is 80 |
by 20 feet. The figures are life-sized. The |
artist put five years of work on it. Curiously |
during the siege of Paris it was cut from its |
frame, rolled in an iron cylinder and buried |
in the earth, to protect it from the destruction
of war. The mob feature and gross injustice !
which endangered the picture are quite sug- |
gestive of the rage and unreasonableness of the |
crowd which insulted aud killed the Christ.
We shall consider only verses 20 %, 25, 81, |
% of st. Mark, chapter Is. There is not time
in these notes for further study.
FIRST: SIMON HELPS CHRIST BEAR HIS
Cross.
1. Data.
Read st. Matt 81 81, 81; St Mark, Is 20,
81; st. Luke, %: &c; st. John, 10: Is, and
they took Jesus and led him away; and " II,
land he bearing his cross went FORTH" The
first three wrote in about the year 63 A. D.,
while st. John wrote near the year 81 A. d.
The first two wrote at Rome; the third at
Achaia, Greece; the fourth at Ephesus, Asia
Minor.
2. Time and Place
During the night of Thursday and the morn
ing of Friday, March 10, A. D. 90, Christ was
being thrust about here and there before one
and another ruler, facing various charges.
Ultimately he was condemned to death by
crucifxion. 1t necessitated his being forced
from the east over to the west part of Jerusa-
lem and out of the gate, since no crininal
could be executed within the city walls. (Nu.,
Is: So; Heb, Is 12) The route lay from the
Judgment Hall to Calvary, distance of to-
wards one mile. The road across is now known
as the Via DoloT0SG, or the very sad way. The
rule was for the condemned person to carry
his cross from the place of conviction to that
of execution. We may put the hour of the day
of the incident which is recorded in the para
graph we now study at little after o'clock
a. N. (See St Mark, Is 25.)
8. Simon.
The Jews in Christ's time were scattered
about in Europe, Asia and Africa. (See Acts,
2:9-11) At the time of the Passover in
special and generally at the great Jewish feasts
many went to Jerusalem from ar-off places.
Simon was from Cyrene, which was a city of
Libya, in Africa. Acts 2: 10.) 1t is in direct
line south from Greece In a straight line it
was about 800 miles due west from Jerusalem.
1t is known as the birthplace of three men
famous before Christs Caliimachus the
poet; Eratosthenes, the Greek astronomer,
geographer and mathematician, and Carneades,
orator, philosopher, sophist. 1t would seem
Simon became convinced of the genuineness of
Christ, and returning to Cyrene prejudiced
men in favor of the cruciied Jesus. We hear
much of the work of men from Cyrene in the
early days of Christianity. Indeed men from
there went to Antioch to preach Christ. (See
Acts, go; Il: 20.) At the time of Christ
! Libya was a Roman province. Cyreue is about
| 10 miles from the coast, Apollonia being the
| port. The famous Ageselaus was a Cyrenian
| King between 500 and 600 B. G.
Simon was father of Alexander and Rufus.
/ (See st. Mark, 10: 81; Acts, ID: So, and Ro., I
16 49, 1t is interesting to realize that in Ro.,
! i: 13, we read of the wife of this very Simon.
! 1t is not unlikely her husband became Christ
/ ian. 1t is quite evident from ST. Paul's state
ment that the wife attached herself to the
| Christian religion, and we have reason to be-
| lieve Rufus their son. If so, he had learned
/ of Christ. If Alexander (Acts, 10: 33) were
brother of Rufus it is certain he failed to follow
| in the Christian path
/ We would suppose Simon was strong man
possibly athletic aud very able to carry the
heaviest end of the cross. Seeing him passing,
/ the officers pressed him into their service We
may suppose Christ was not q man specially
/ vigorous physically. He had been up all night,
agitated in mind and wearied in body. A cross
| large and strong enough for the execution of
q person WOulu Dc CumDIOuS anu WSiSHIy.
! From st. John, 10 II, we see Christ at first
bore it alone. Jesus was pressed down by the
| too heavy burden, and it was evident he could
| not carry it without help. All Simon did was
to assist. We see from ST. Luke, % :: 26, that
Simon bore it latter Jesus" Christ went
ahead carrying one end while Simon lifted the
| other end.
It's clear Simon was reluctant to help He was
| laid hold upon (St Luke. %: 20, and compelled
to help. (St. Matt, q 80; st. Mark, Is: 21.)
The carrying of the cross was ignominious and
laborious. The taking part in the execution
of anybody would be exceedingly disagreeable.
| Perhaps up to that time Christ and Simon had
never met and hence Simon could not have
| the feeling of friendship to inpsire him. Ba-
slides, the Greek heresiarch, who died in the
year $50, Taught that Simon was crucifed in
| Christs stead. The errorists known as the
Docete held Christ suffered only in appear
anee or by substitute The Article No. II of
the English Church to check any such inter
| probation says who tTulg suffered"
From the manner in which st. Mark writes
of Rufus and Alexander we infer those two
sons of Simon had become known as Christians
when he wrote. Tradition tells Us Rufus be-
came Bishop and Alexander martyr.
We feel curious to know why Jesus was re-
duced to such extremes as to friendship that
instead of not being assisted by some one whom
he had restored to life or health it was neces-
sary to compel a stranger who CHANGED to be
passing by to render the needed aid. Ofcourse,
under the circumstances, the followers OF Christ
would be indisereet if they demonstrated too
conspicnously in his favor. Then it may not
have been usual for men condemned to have
assistance in carrying their crosses, and the
fact of Simon aiding may have been nero
incident which could not have been anticipated.
We do not read that the thieves were assisted
in bearing their crosses.
4. Suggestion
The following stanza will serve to bring
many thought to the wise and devout:
Shall Jesus bear the cross alone,
And all the world go free?
No. there's n cross for every one,
And there's a cross for Me-
SECONDLY: PUNISHMENT THREATENED TO
THE JEWS.
The next incident in the series of events at
tending the erucifxion is stated by st. Luke,
%: 27-31 st. Mark says nothing of this, and
we therefore omit notes.
THIRDLY: NARCOTIC REFUSED.
l. Data.
Read st. Matt, 81: So, "a; st. Mark, u.s. %,
%; st. Luke, %: 49, land when they were
come to the place which is called Calvary !;
ST. John, Is: IL, into place called the place
of skull, which is called in the Hebrew Col
gotha."
2 Time.
We may say it was about 10 minutes to 8
o'clock a. M. twas just before Jesus was nailed
to the cross.
pInre