"Fulfilling"

Though a wealthy merchant, Simeon of Cyrene feels his life is not worth living. His wife wants nothing to do with him while his son is dead from a warehouse inferno that crippled his daughter. He considers suicide as an escape from the torture that eats at his soul as his work no longer comforts him. Simeon begs his wife to forgive him and take him back, but has no hope as he knows she blames him for the tragedies.

Simeon travels to Jerusalem on business with an old friend. This enables him to observe the controversy over the teacher Jesus. He finds comfort and even hope in the words and teachings by example of Jesus, but also fears for the life of the kind hearted soul as the Roman and Jewish religious and secular leaders press the masses to support the death of Jesus. When he learns of the resurrection, Simeon has to see for himself for if Jesus can rise from the dead and forgive those who killed him surely he can continue to seek forgiveness and a second chance from his wife and daughter.

This is a deep look at Jesus' last days from the perspective of Simeon, an individual who believes that he deserves to die for what he did to his family. The age comes to life mostly through Simeon's depressed eyes though readers will wonder how Jesus feels especially since the release of the Gibson film. Sigmund Brouwer stays with his main theme of one lonely depressed soul's efforts for redemption from his family may come because of the light Jesus shines on him and others in first century Jerusalem.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted March 27, 2004

Summary

Simeon's life is falling apart, and he fears he may never see his wife and daughter again. As he arrives in Jerusalem for Passover, he is looking for a miracle. In this repackaged edition, best-selling author Sigmund Brouwer retells the passion of Christ through the eyes of one man as he experiences an astonishing encounter with Christ in his last hours of life.