Today let’s look at one more set of people whom Paul mentions in Romans 16: Rufus and his mother.
First, Rufus: Paul’s comment about Rufus is that he is “chosen in the Lord.” We’re not sure why Paul says that about Rufus, because the phrase “chosen in the Lord” describes every believer in Jesus. Could there have been some doubt within the Christian community in Rome about Rufus’s commitment to Christ? If so, Paul means to quell any sense of doubt by including Rufus here. In any case, Rufus is “in Christ.”
Next, Rufus’s mother is noted as being like a mother to Paul. In various ways, it seems, she revealed that she was “in Christ” through her care for Paul, a traveling missionary who rarely experienced the comforts of home. When people like Paul received hospitality, care, and welcome while traveling, they remembered people like Rufus’s mother.
Rufus’s mother reminds me of Jesus, whose hospitality and welcome were beautifully consistent and authentic. Picture Jesus providing food for large crowds, for example (Mark 6:30-44; 8:1-13). Picture him graciously calling Peter to serve again (John 21:15-19; April 12). Think about Jesus’ Spirit living in the heart of Rufus’s mother, a new creation whose care and kindness pointed to God’s work in the new creation, leading her to become like Jesus.
