Romans 16:13: Greet Rufus, Chosen In The Lord; Also His Mother, Who Has Been A Mother To Me As Well.

Romans 16:13

Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. (ESV)

This little verse has more information for us than you might expect. Most biblical scholars believe that Rufus' father was none other than Simon of Cyrene. You may remember that he was the one who was asked to carry the Savior's cross on the way to Golgotha. It could be, at the time Paul wrote this, that Simon was no longer living. But he sends greetings to Rufus and his mother.

I can only imagine growing up in the home that Rufus grew up in. Perhaps Simon reminded his family that Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). Simon could have followed that up with the fact that he carried the cross of Christ and that all people who would follow Christ were called to also carry the cross.

Another interesting thing to note in this passage is that Paul viewed Rufus' mother as being a mother to him as well. I look at Paul as being independent, strong, and almost unstoppable. Paul needed a mom. Paul was willing to be vulnerable and admit that he needed the nurturing that a godly mother can provide. I am also sure that they talked about Simon and his connection with the cross.

When Simon of Cyrene was carrying the cross of Christ Paul was busy trying to live a life of self-righteousness as a Pharisee. What a contrast to see the Apostle Paul go from being a man who looked to himself as the source of righteousness to a man who was willing to be killed for the sake of Jesus Christ. I can imagine the amazing conversations Paul had with his "mom."

We all need a "mom" in our lives. If you no longer have one, ask the Lord to provide one for you as he did for the Apostle Paul.

Comments

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co

James 2:18: I Will Show You My Faith By My Works

James 2:18 [18] But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (ESV) There are certain things in life that go together. Peanut butter and jelly. Double stuff Oreo cookies and milk. Faith and works. James raises the point that someone might argue that faith and works can be separated. "One will say, "You have faith and I have works." Is it ok for works to be separated from faith? James is making the argument that faith and works are not to be separated. James is saying to the one who has faith only, with no works, that he wants them to see his faith by his works. In other words, if you are going to claim to have faith, but have no works, you have no evidence of faith. If I am to believe that a person has genuine faith I can only see that by their works. Faith brings action. There are so many people to claim to have some kind of faith, yet when it comes down to it, their

Every Day Devotion

Search This Blog