In Romans 16 we are introduced to twenty-six people who were associated with the apostle Paul and greeted by him in the closing verses of this epistle. In v13 Paul wrote, “Salute Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.” We’re not told much about Rufus. However, in the Gospel of Mark which was written to Roman Christians, we learn that Simon of Cyrene who carried the cross for Jesus was the father of two sons – Alexander and Rufus (Mark 15:21).
It may very well be that the Rufus Mark wrote about and the Rufus greeted by the apostle Paul were one and the same. If so, then the mother of Rufus was the wife of Simon who is notable for his act of carrying the cross of Christ to Calvary. Whatever her true identity, Paul saluted this woman who apparently had been as much of a mother to him and she was to her own son.
This Sunday we salute mothers! We salute mothers because of their calling. Motherhood is most definitely a calling. Christian motherhood is the highest calling anyone can ever fill in this life. There’s no more influential role on earth than that of a godly mother. Paul recognized this when he linked Timothy’s sincere faith to the influence of his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5).
Abraham Lincoln made this wise observation, “No one is poor who had a godly mother.” In a society that devalues the role of a godly mother, we salute it!
And then we salute mothers because of their contribution. The contributions of mothers are too numerous to name in this short article. Let me sum them up in three words. The first word is LIFE. Mothers are life-givers. Your mother not only brought you into this world, she cared for you when you could not care for yourself. You are alive today because of that very special lady.
The second word is LOVE. Is there anything that compares to the love of a mother? A mother’s love is probably the closest thing to true agape love we will ever experience within the context of human relationships. The third and final word is LEGACY. I wonder how many of us are serving the Lord today because of the influence and prayers of a godly mother.
If your mother is still living, be sure to salute her this Mother’s Day. As a matter of fact, salute her every day! Honor her because her calling is a high and holy calling. And thank her for her inestimable contributions of life, love, and a legacy of faith.
Pastor Todd Weston
It may very well be that the Rufus Mark wrote about and the Rufus greeted by the apostle Paul were one and the same. If so, then the mother of Rufus was the wife of Simon who is notable for his act of carrying the cross of Christ to Calvary. Whatever her true identity, Paul saluted this woman who apparently had been as much of a mother to him and she was to her own son.
This Sunday we salute mothers! We salute mothers because of their calling. Motherhood is most definitely a calling. Christian motherhood is the highest calling anyone can ever fill in this life. There’s no more influential role on earth than that of a godly mother. Paul recognized this when he linked Timothy’s sincere faith to the influence of his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5).
Abraham Lincoln made this wise observation, “No one is poor who had a godly mother.” In a society that devalues the role of a godly mother, we salute it!
And then we salute mothers because of their contribution. The contributions of mothers are too numerous to name in this short article. Let me sum them up in three words. The first word is LIFE. Mothers are life-givers. Your mother not only brought you into this world, she cared for you when you could not care for yourself. You are alive today because of that very special lady.
The second word is LOVE. Is there anything that compares to the love of a mother? A mother’s love is probably the closest thing to true agape love we will ever experience within the context of human relationships. The third and final word is LEGACY. I wonder how many of us are serving the Lord today because of the influence and prayers of a godly mother.
If your mother is still living, be sure to salute her this Mother’s Day. As a matter of fact, salute her every day! Honor her because her calling is a high and holy calling. And thank her for her inestimable contributions of life, love, and a legacy of faith.
Pastor Todd Weston
