And the scripture was fulfilled, which said, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
All Commentaries on Mark 15:28 Go To Mark 15
Bede
AD 735
Or, since this Simon is not called aman a Jerusalem, but a Cyrenian, (for Cyrene is a city in Libya,) fitly is he taken to mean the nations of the Gentiles, which were once foreigners and strangers to the covenants, but now by obedience are heirs of God, and join theirs with Christ. Whence also Simon is fitly interpreted ‘obedient’, and Cyrene ‘an heir’. But heis said to come from a country place, for a country place is called ‘pagos’ in Greek, wherefore those whom we see to be aliens from the city of God, we call pagans. Simon then coming out from the country carries the cross after Jesus, when the Gentile nations leaving pagan rights embrace obediently the footsteps of our Lord's Passion. There follows: “And they bring Him unto the place Golgotha, which is being interpreted, the place of Calvary. "There are places without the city and the gate, in which the heads of condemned persons are cut off, and which receive the name of Calvary, that is, of the beheaded. But the Lord was crucified there, that where once was the field of the condemned, there the standards of martyrdom might be lifted up.
Bitter the vine which bore the bitter wine, set before the Lord Jesus, that the Scripture might be fulfilled which saith, “They gave me gall to eat, and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.” .
But this superscription on the crossshews, that they could not even in killing Him take away the kingdom over them from Him who was about to render unto them according to their works. There follows: “And with Him they crucify two thieves, the one on His right hand, the other on His left.”.
Mystically, however, the thieves crucified with Christ signify those, who by their faith and confession of Christ undergo either the struggle of martyrdom, or some rules of a stricter discipline. But those who do these deeds for the sake of endless glory, are signified by the faith of the right hand robber; those again who do them for worldly praise copy the mind and the acts of the left hand robber.
