Explore It - Paul & "Neighbor" Rufus' Mom

Mark 15:21 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.

Romans 16:13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.

Rufus, a name meaning “red,” is only found two times in the New Testament.  The first time, in the Gospel of Mark, Rufus’ dad Simon is forced to carry the cross of Jesus.  The second time, in Paul’s epistle to the Romans, Paul sends his greeting to Rufus and his mother at the close of his letter.  Paul also states that Rufus’ mother had also been a mother to him.  We don’t receive any additional information on how this woman impacted Paul, only that she did.  We assume Rufus’ mom helped Paul through a situation in life or maybe she ministered to him regularly as he grew in his own faith.  She impacted Paul enough to be mentioned at the end of his letter.

As we travel through life, we will never truly know the full impact we have on those we come in contact with.  Does our attitude turn people away?  Does our self-righteousness turn people against Jesus and His Church?  Or does our love toward one another draw others to our sides as if they are family?  How we act and treat others directly impacts our ability to reach the world for Jesus.

As we go through our day we should look for ways to care for one another.  Maybe spending a few extra moments listening to a friend or sending a quick text or giving a quick phone call will let someone know we were thinking about them and will provide the care they need.  John 13:35 tells us, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  We are called to care for and minister to one another; we are called to love one another.

Who is God leading you to care for?  To minister to?  To share the love of Jesus with?  Maybe God is encouraging you to intentionally come alongside someone just as Rufus’ mom stood by Paul.

Blessings,
Pastor Amy