Unlimited: She Has Been a Mother to Me
Jan 8, 2024 249
Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too (Romans 16:13).
Apart from Paul’s nephew (Acts 23:16–22), he never mentions any members of his family in his letters. It is possible that, in keeping with Jewish customs, Paul’s family had entirely disowned him for embracing the Christian faith. This reference to a woman who had been a mother to Paul is a poignant reminder of the human Paul, and what he gave up for the Gospel of Christ.
The “Rufus” mentioned here is widely believed to have been a son of Simon of Cyrene, who bore Christ’s cross to Calvary. The gospel-writer Mark had ties to the city of Rome (Col. 4:10; Philemon 24; 2 Tim. 4:11.) There are indications that Mark wrote his gospel with a Roman audience in mind. Mark mentions Simon of Cyrene and his children by name:
A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross (Mark 15:21.)
This reference to a woman who had been a mother to Paul is a poignant reminder of the human Paul, and what he gave up for the Gospel of Christ.
Simon’s sons would apparently have been known to the believers. One of those sons is Rufus. On this basis, it is possible that at least some of Simon of Cyrene’s family had been converted to Christianity, and that the Rufus whom Paul greets is the son of Simon of Cyrene, and that Rufus’ mother is Simon’s wife.
Spiritual Application
Read again the story of Simon of Cyrene in Mark 15:16–32. If Rufus is indeed the son of Simon of Cyrene, then this provides us with a beautiful, behind-the-scenes view of the impact of being present at the cross upon one man and his family. How has Calvary impacted your own life?
Leave a Reply