Rufus

In the last chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans there are 24 people named. Almost all of them are unfamiliar to us; but each one is important. There is Phoebe, a female deacon. There are Adronicus and Junia, a couple called 'apostles.' And of course there are Priscilla and Aquila, another couple--both business people and teachers in the church; the church also met in their home.

But an interesting story goes along with the man named Rufus (Ro. 16.13).
Who is Rufus?
William Barclay, in his commentary on Romans, gives us a speculative story.
In Mark's gospel, there is the story of a man named Simon from Cyrene who was forced to carry the cross for Jesus on his way to Golgotha.
Simon had come to town to celebrate Passover.
He was a good Jew.
He didn't know anything about this Jesus fellow.
All of a sudden he was grabbed by a soldier and told to carry the cross.

Now we don't know for sure, but it is possible that the experience of
carrying that cross and seeing the battered Jesus, and watching him
be executed and hearing his words from the cross--
it's possible that Simon went home a different man.
Could it be that the drama Simon was forced to enter into
changed him forever?

It's curious that when Mark tells the story about Simon,
he mentions the names of his sons -- Alexander and Rufus!
Why would the hearers of Mark's gospel know who Rufus and Alexander were?
Well, Mark's gospel was written with the help of Peter in Rome.
(The letter '1st Peter' ends by saying: "She who is in Babylon [the church in Rome] sends you her greetings, an so does my son Mark.")
If Mark and Peter were in Rome writing the Gospel of Mark,
and they knew Rufus who was also in Rome,
they would want to identify Rufus as Simon's son,
because the congregation of Rome would know him.

Simon of Cyrene was converted to Christ in Jerusalem.
He went home and bore witness to the cross,
and his wife and two sons were converted to Christ.
Rufus and his mother are still in Rome when Paul writes
the letter to that congregation.

Again--we don't know if this is what happened,
but it makes sense.

How can we enter into the drama of redemption
so that it changes us?
How can we invite others into that drama?
Evangelism is the art of inviting (not coercing) others into
the drama of Christ.