imprisoned witness

There’s a little tidbit at the end of Romans that caught my eye this morning. I’m sure I’ve read it before, but I never really thought about it. At the end of Romans 16:23 I read this: “Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.”

I have no idea who Brother Quartus was, but we can figure some things out about Erastus. How big a deal do you have to be to become the director of public works in a city like Rome? Back then, you probably had to be nobility or at least very well connected to land a gig like that. 

So how did Paul manage to convert Erastus? I guess I’m assuming conversion, maybe Paul just made a good friend, but whichever, Erastus, upon learning that Paul was writing to the Christian churches, asked Paul to pass on his greetings. That makes the most sense if he was a fellow believer. 

Somehow, as a prisoner awaiting trial, Paul managed to connect with this powerful official, and to win him over. Somehow Paul built enough of a relationship that this Roman knew who Paul was writing – that suggests they had regular interaction. Granted, Paul wasn’t locked in a cell, he was under something like house arrest. Still, there’s no good reason for the director of public works to get involved with Paul – he could easily have avoided him if he wished.

I picture Paul being so unusual that the word started getting around. “You know, that prisoner? He’s the nicest guy. He asks about me and my family, and he says he prays to his God for me. And you know what? Life is going better since he started praying. What he says about this Jesus is kind of confusing, but if it makes someone live that way, there has to be something to it.”

I imagine that eventually Erastus heard of Paul, and then wanted to hear him. And Paul, the man in chains, made a friend of the church out of a Roman official.

But then, that's why Paul went to Rome, to testify at the highest levels of government. His single-mindedness paid off, not so much for Paul, but certainly for Erastus.

I hope my life is like that. I hope that just by living my days as I believe Jesus wants me to, I make faith in Jesus look good. I hope my witness, spoken and lived, attracts people rather than turns them off.

I’m trying to focus my life on that. Too many days, other stuff takes over, but more and more I’m able to keep Jesus at the center, and his people as the reason I’m here. And when I do that, it’s amazing what I see happening right here, during my routine life in this small town.