Acts 13 talks about the early church praying fervently waiting for God’s guidance in their next step in ministry. The Bible clearly tells us that while they were fasting and worshipping the Holy Spirit himself called out Barnabas and Saul for carrying God’s word to the places around. With the assurance of God’s call, both set out from Antioch and proceeded towards Seleucia and then to Cyprus and reached Salamis.
While the two were ministering in Salamis, from nowhere a third person joins their team whose name is ‘John Mark’ and Bible says that he was their helper. It’s definitely very appreciative of John Mark to willingly help them in their ministry. From Salamis they moved to Paphos and interestingly John Mark was still following them and helping them all along. In v13 there is a twist in the story when they reached Pamphylia, John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.
If you notice carefully, John Mark is talked about only in two verses; when he enters the scene and the next time when he abandons the ministry. It’s evident how when the spirit of God is not involved in the calling for ministry, people easily waver. But Paul and Barnabas continued to work their vision for the Lord in the places where they travelled.
Two chapters later, in Acts 15:36, we see how Paul wanted to go back to each of the places they had visited earlier to encourage the believers. Accordingly when they reached Antioch, they met John Mark again. Something peculiar happened here…Barnabas, who was chosen by the spirit of God, insisted on taking John Mark again with them. But Paul who had witnessed his lack of commitment in Pamphylia, objected. A disgraceful event took place when there arose a sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas and they split!
Could you believe, two people called out by the spirit of God and who had been together ministering all the while, separating because of a deceiver like John Mark? I am surprised about the decision of Barnabas to support John Mark though he forsook them in between. The reason is Barnabas was influenced by John Mark for some reason. Instead of waiting on the Spirit of God whether to involve John Mark or not, he wanted him at any cost. Hence their ministry split. Paul chose Silas and Barnabas chose John Mark.
It’s pathetic to know that Barnabas and John Mark didn’t make any impact later. In fact there’s nothing that the Bible talks about their ministry ever again. But on the other hand Paul and Silas shook the places where they went and thousands were added to the church.
Today message is: John Marks are all out there in the world. We never know how they come and how they disappear. But they certainly influence us in the little while they are. We may later dare to argue with God for their sake … yes, John Marks like comfort, pride, laziness, sensuality and what not. They just rub gently and disappear and before we could realize we are already deep down there.
What or Who is your John Mark today? If you examine yourself you may be surprised about how many John Marks that have blinded you from your real vision. Chuck the John Marks out in the name of Jesus and head straight towards your destiny in Christ and be a History maker!
Lord Jesus, please remove any hindrances that may come in between in my race towards my goal. Help me to obey your words and work according to Your will alone. Amen
Friday, February 29, 2008
John Mark!
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4 comments:
I see where you are coming from, but don't you think that it is important to realize that John Mark was a person. Just because we don't hear a lot more about his ministry doesn't mean that it did not exist. After all, he wrote one of our gospels! Also, we see in Timothy that he had regained Paul's favor by Timothy.- Maybe we should give him a little break. I think that he was the victim of a high expectation place on him as the son of a prominent leader in the church (Mary). As the wife of a minister, my heart goes out to him a bit. "Fish Bowl" life is hard when everyone may press you to be something that God may not have intended and those expectations are harder to decipher when they come from godly role models, etc. I see your point about those distractions and that is true but to say that he and Barnabus were pathetic may be a little judgmental...Like us, the Spirit has to prompt us and nudge us and, because we are human, we take our experiences both good and bad and God uses them for HIS glory. I wish I could say that I always responded to God the first time and that I never experienced fear and doubt - but I can say that those experiences have helped me to minister. I am a living testimony of God's mercy, grace and second chances...just like John Mark! Blessings to you in your pursuits for today's techies. I enjoyed the thoughts!
Walk in Grace, Donna
Need to do a little more research. John Mark is of use again to the Holy Spirit. First Mark write the gospel named for him,and he is the scribe for 1 Peter and is even called 'useful to me for service' by Paul. Like many in the Bible, Mark learnt from his failures - could anyone fail worse than Peter who denies Christ and Paul who puts in prison early Jewish Christians? Below are the verses were Mark is mentioned.
Mark 14:51 A young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they *seized him. 52 But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked.
Acts 12:12 And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.
Acts 12:25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.
Acts 15:37 Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also.
Acts 15:39 And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.
Col. 4:10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas’s cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him);
2Tim. 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.
Philem. 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.
1Pet. 5:13 She who is in Babylon (Rome), chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark.
Your interpretation from the silence of Scripture is breathtakingly misleading. Luke, who wrote both the gospel and Acts, was Paul's companion on his second and probably third missionary journey. His focus on Paul's ministry was naturally central to his writing because he was there - an eyewitness. To suggest that Barnabas was somehow misled to go off with Mark and thus use his disappearance from the history recorded in Acts as proof of his mistake is as shortsighted as saying Luke's non-mention of Peter after chapter 15 is proof that he was set aside also. Luke did not follow Barnabas' ministry, but Paul himself would attest to the rightness of Barnabas' faithful encouragement of Mark in 2 Timothy 4:11. Mark's usefulness was evidently due to Barnabas', not Paul's, choice in Acts 15.
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
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