David Godfrey
"Paul thought it not good to take with them him who withdrew from them
... and went not with them to the work." Acts 15:38
MARK'S position was a sad one, for it caused a sharp contention between Paul and Barnabas so that "they parted asunder, one from another" (Acts 15:39). Barnabas said that they should take Mark with them on their Second Missionary Journey, while Paul said that they should not do so. There were two sides to this contention, but it is generally agreed that probably both were right and both were wrong. The positive value which we do well to note is that the result of this quarrel was that two missionary expeditions set out instead of only one. So it is that our wonderful Lord overrules human failures and affairs.
If the dissension and dispute were to end at this point, leaving history to record that these two great men were never reconciled, it would be a sad day for the Church. Happily we can know more about the matter by considering the story of John Mark, a story of both failure and fulfilment.
WE begin at Acts 12 where we read of Peter's miraculous deliverance from prison. He himself was amazed by it all, but when he considered what had happened, he hurried at once to the house of Mary, who was John Mark's mother. Evidently the home was a centre for the gathering of the early Jerusalem church, and indeed may well have been the same house whose Upper Room was used by the Lord Jesus on the eve of the crucifixion. It might have been Mark himself who was the young man described in his Gospel (Mark 14:51-52). We have no proof of this, but we do know that Mark grew up in a Christian home and may even have been led to Christ by the apostle Peter.
What a night of excitement it must have been in that house, with such earnest and concentrated prayer and then such an outstanding answer! This is our first introduction to the name of John Mark and a very striking one it is. He may possibly[45/46] have met Paul and Barnabas when the latter first befriended Paul in Jerusalem, but at any rate he met them now, for they were in Jerusalem at that time (Acts 11:30 and 12:25). This was indeed a momentous period in the young man's life. Here he was, involved in a miraculous answer to prayer and caught up in a wave of great thanksgiving to God. No doubt he must have listened to the thrilling conversation of the two great apostles. With what bated breath he must have heard their stories and perhaps even discussions as to their future plans. Doubtless he was fired with a desire to do that kind of thing himself and to be involved in that kind of exciting activity, feeling restive at the idea of staying there at home and longing to get out where it all seemed to be happening. What a joy, then, to be able to pack his bags and go off to be a "full-time worker"! And we can imagine with what envy his Christian friends saw him off and how proud his mother must have been as her son set out to win people in the dark places of the earth for Christ.
It is most important for modern Christians to be careful about impulsive movements, made in moments of enthusiasm. The servant of the Lord must never be governed by what sounds romantic, abandoning the humdrum of his ordinary life for imagined fulfilment in distant lands. If such actions spring from romantic enthusiasm they may find not fulfilment but failure, as John Mark certainly did. By all means let me encourage you to venture out on the Lord when He so calls, but do make sure that your movement is in response to the Spirit's call and not to a romantic impulse. There in Antioch, the final plans were made and the church had a wonderful Valedictory Service. Mark was off. But alas, it did not last for long and soon enough, Mark was back again with his mother in Jerusalem.
I MUST not stress the fact that there is no mention of the Spirit's leading Mark, but it is a fact that in the church at Antioch the Holy Spirit said: "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (Acts 13:2), whereas no mention was made of John Mark. What we are entitled to do is to ask why the young man returned home before they had gone very far on their journey.
Was he, perhaps, an only son of a widowed mother who had spoiled him a bit, so that now he was homesick? Was it that although he had gone with visions of himself as a preacher, he had to spend his time looking after the two leaders? Or was it fundamentally because the operation resembled what has been described as trying to put a square peg into a round hole?
Whatever it was, everything came to a head at Perga (Acts 13:13) with the outcome that this young man who had gone forth from home and friends with such high hopes, now returned a defeated failure. And what is more, he is the prototype of so many others who have sincerely left their normal life to go out to what may be called "the work", only to succumb to discouragement and obvious failure.
But was it failure? At that period Paul was inclined so to regard it, but later he was man of God enough to realise that the overruling power of grace had turned that failure into fulfilment. How did it all happen?
FOR my part, I wonder whether Peter had a part in Mark's recovery. Who better than he, who knew what it was to break down under testing, to extend a loving hand to help the "failed missionary" and see the round peg put into the round hole? I can imagine him putting a fatherly arm around the crestfallen Mark and reminding him that it is not for us or any other person to choose our spiritual gifts. Only the Holy Spirit Himself can do that.
Perhaps Mark was never meant to be a preacher. There are those who volunteer and strive to be such when they have other gifts, and who therefore only find frustration. Perhaps Peter was able to say to Mark: "My son, your real gift is with your pen. Be content with that. Take it up and listen to me so that you can have the great privilege of being the first to give an account of the ministry of Jesus here on earth. Under the Holy Spirit's guidance, you and I can record that story in a way that will glorify our lovely Saviour and bring His love and life to multitudes. Together we will write 'The Gospel according to Mark'." This is nowhere stated. It is in fact a bit of imagination on my part. It is certain, though, that all can trace the influence of Peter in Mark's Gospel. So the round peg now fitted perfectly into the round hole. [46/47]
Mark had found God's niche for him but -- as is often the case -- he found fulfilment by way of failure and frustration. We shall never know how hard he had to work and to persevere to live down his past, but he did so and ultimately triumphed, this triumph being generously recognised and appreciated by Paul himself who valued his fellowship and asked for his help (Colossians 4:10 and 2 Timothy 4:11). And it was to Mark's eternal credit that he responded so readily to this new relationship with Paul. He could easily have responded, "No way! You didn't want me before, so why should I want you now?" Happily any old grievances were buried at the cross -- which is where all grievances should be buried.
This story of Mark may bring some comfort to a reader who is smarting under a sense of failure or rejection. I would urge you to take courage, for God has a way of taking up and using such experiences to lead us into what He always had in mind for us in terms of fulfilment. If Mark had been wholly taken up with work as a successful preacher, how much poorer the whole world would have been if it had never had his Gospel.
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