Cut out my eye that I might see
The Cyrenian Cycle: Simon of Cyrene
by John Piper
click the link to listen and read along
(…)
And so it went for years, until
The man named Jesus claimed to fill
The promises, but had no sword,
Or fighting forces — like a Lord
Without a minion. Simon laughed
Out loud: “Does he think he will draft
A following with messages
About the birds? And when he says,
That we must sell our land and be
As lowly as a child, does he
Believe that anyone will come?
The man must be insane. One crumb
Of common sense would see that no
One, rich or poor, would rise, and go
Behind a vagabond who’s got
No place to lay his head. There’s not
A beggar’s chance that anyone
With property, like me, would run
Behind a fool who says that wealth
Can choke you like a thorn, and health
Of soul does not consist in what
You have, and purse strings should be cut,
And hard-earned cash just given to
The poor, and everything that you
Forsake will somehow bless you more.
I even heard him say, the door
To life is death, and that the price
Of seeing him in paradise
Is that we bear a bloody cross
With him, and count it gain not loss.
The man’s insane.”
But soon the wheel
Of Providence (unwearied seal
Of distant prayer) turned on its bolt.
That Friday looked like a revolt,
As Simon came in from the farm
Where he had spent the night. Alarm
Was in the air, and people ran
And whispered. Simon stopped a man
And asked him, “What’s all this?” He said,
“The Nazarene will soon be dead.
They took him yesterday without
A fight, and now there’s not a doubt
That he’ll be crucified today.
All night the courts have met. They say
That even Herod gave the nod.
They beat him with the scourge and rod,
And crowds are crying, Crucify!
Come! Just beyond that hill nearby
Is where they do this stuff. It’s called
The Skull.” But Simon froze, appalled.
“How can they crucify a meek
And harmless fool? Why do they seek
The gibbet for a clown? As though
A child might rise and overthrow
The empire.” Simon had to know.
And so he took the ridge along
The Hinnom vale and through a throng
Of peasants pushed his way up to
A line of soldiers. Then, “Hey, you!”
A black Centurion again
Called out, “You there, dark one!” The men
Around him shouldered Simon to
The bloody street and pushed him through
The barricade. And there he saw
The harmless criminal, like raw
And butchered meat bent down on hands
And knees, and heaving while the strands
Of matted, crimson hair hung ‘round
His face while he stared at the ground.
“Get down and lift this cross. I’m sure
Messiah will be pleased that you’re
Well-dressed for such a ministry.
It isn’t every day, you see,
That you can serve a king. Now take
It up, dark man, and for the sake
Of messianic pride you stay
Behind and follow him. They say
That this was his command. You see,
He triumphs on his bloody knee.”
He prodded Jesus with his sword,
And, silent as a lamb, the Lord
Of glory stood, and walked outside
Jerusalem. And there beside
The road, with sleepless, weeping eyes,
Was Malchus like a living prize
Of war. Just then a thud, and groan
And Simon lay with broken bone
Beneath the cross where it had crushed
His hand. The Roman soldier flushed
With rage and screamed, “Get up, you ape!
Do you think groans are worth escape
From what the Crown has bidden you
To do? Get up!” His whip cut through
The air, and severed Simon’s eye
In half. And when he heard the cry
He drew his sword. “I’ll carry it!”
The voice was Malchus’, and he fit
The cross around his neck and bore
It up the hill. And there, before
The Lord, with reverence, he lay
It down, then stood, and walked away,
Back down the hill where Simon cried
With pain and fear and shame, and tried
To keep the blood inside his eye. He knelt
Beside the wealthy African and felt
The broken bone. “I think this was
A wish, come true, don’t you? What does
A sovereign God more have to do
Than break your bone, to waken you,
And blind your eye, that you may see?
Did not you always want to be
A chief and have a place of state,
And hope that God would nominate
You for some lofty ministry
In his dominion? Look and see,
What great assignment Christ should lay
Aside and give for you today.”
He turned his bloody face to see
The voice that spoke, and quietly
They stared until the decades fell.
“Are you my brother Malchus? Tell
Me truthfully.” “I am.” “How did
You find me here? You were a kid.
How did you know that it was I?”
“I prayed for you last night that, high
Above the ways of man, some wheel
Of Providence would let me heal
Your eyes the way Christ healed my ear.”
And then he bowed and put his hand
Upon his brother’s eye, and said, “O land,
You have been broken now, and lost
Your pow’r to blind. And ev’ry cost
Is paid for Simon’s sight. Come, Lord
Of light, and let it be restored.”
And Simon whispered through his tears
From deep within the hidden years,
“If I desire this vanity,
Cut out my eye that I might see.”
The truth of advent candle two
Is that our God is never through
With wonders of his power and grace,
Nor ever blocked by time or place.
But wheels are turning everywhere
To open eyes and answer prayer.
