Success is not about who you are. It is about Whom you know, and in spite of our flaws, He remains faithful. Join us as we continue in the footsteps of the early church and examine lessons from the life of John Mark.

<p>Success is not about who you are. It is about Whom you know, and in spite of our flaws, He remains faithful. Join us as we continue in the footsteps of the early church and examine lessons from the life of John Mark.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

GYC Southeast

Rhonda Grakov

Great in God's Sight Season 1

John: the Soul that Knows its Worth

Polycarp: Eighty-Six Years

Justin Martyr: Philosopher to Child of God

Patrick: Unlikely Freedom

Thomas: The Other Half of Faith

Columba: The Dove of Scotland

Jerome, Cyril, and Methodius: Bibles for East and West

William Wilberforce, Part 1: The Great Change

William Wilberforce, Part 2: The Great Cause

Mark: One Young Man


Hello and welcome to Great and God's Sight, the podcast that explores underrated heroes. We're so glad you've joined us for this episode entitled, Mark, 1 Young Man. Please be sure to subscribe and visit our website at thegreatpodcast.org. That's thegreatpodcast.org. Thanks for listening.

The hate-filled shouts of angry men abruptly ended an evening of solemn silence. Jesus, the most innocent man who ever lived, faced his accusers without raising his voice or resisting, and he did this alone. The mob seized him, Then all the disciples deserted him and fled. Have you ever made a mistake that caused you to feel like you failed God? At least a few Bible characters could relate, but 1 in particular comes to mind.

John Mark witnessed Jesus' final moments before his arrest, albeit in an unusual way. Mark 14.51 tells us that a young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind. When the mob came to take Jesus, the event caught this young man unprepared. He may have been any number of Jesus's followers from the rich young ruler to Lazarus.

Yet, as author of the account, it is most likely that this was Mark's own cameo appearance. The most significant aspect was that he deserted Jesus with such haste that he escaped in nothing more than his birthday suit. His physical nakedness represented his spiritual nakedness. To be fair, all of Christ's disciples deserted him in those final moments, yet Mark's situation remains the most striking. Unfortunately, his unusual escape would not be Mark's last embarrassing situation.

When Paul and Barnabas were preparing to take the gospel to the Gentiles, he joined them. Mark only made it as far as the city of Perga on the southern coastline of Asia Minor, part of modern-day Turkey. The cause for Mark's decision to turn back is not revealed in Scripture. It may be that he felt homesick and missed his family. Another possibility is that he was not comfortable taking the Gospel to the Gentiles.

As cousins, Mark and Barnabas came from similar environmental backgrounds. In Galatians 2, 11-14, Paul reveals how this affected Barnabas. When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.

The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy, even Barnabas was led astray. In other words, Barnabas fell into the trap of believing that the Gentile Christians needed to conform to a Jewish ceremonial act in order to be saved. It stands to reason, Mark and Barnabas being related, that Mark harbored similar sentiments. This may have prevented him from wholeheartedly completing the journey with Paul. An unfamiliarity with the Gentile world would have prompted Mark to cling to the comfort of his Jewish homeland.

Whatever the reason for Mark's return, Paul was not pleased. How unpleased? Paul was so dissatisfied with Mark's decision that he refused to let Mark join him on a later journey. Some time later, Paul said to Barnabas, "'Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing." Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them. But Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.

They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. The rift between Mark and Paul sank so deep into their relationship that it even separated Paul and Barnabas. As sad and unexpected as this event was, it was not without a silver lining. Their separation resulted in a broader diffusion of the Gospel.

Paul and Silas were able to revisit the churches of Asia Minor, while Barnabas and Mark strengthened the believers in Cyprus. Whatever our feelings toward Mark for his instability, or Paul for his impatience, we must remember that we are capable of making similar mistakes. God used faulty human beings in an unfavorable circumstance to further his glory, and he continues to do so. If Mark's story ended after his misunderstanding with Paul, it would lack the reconciliation and brotherly Christian unity we expect from the early church. The way it actually happened may be more beautiful and more satisfying than anything the imagination could produce.

Not long after Paul and Barnabas parted ways, Paul received a vision of a man in Macedonia requesting help. He and his new traveling companions, Silas and Timothy, then preached the gospel throughout Macedonia and Greece. Upon returning to Jerusalem, Paul became the newest object of disdain for the Jewish religious leaders. If not for his Roman citizenship, he would have died at the hands of his own people just as Stephen had. Instead, he appealed to Rome and the Roman governor, Festus, granted this request.

While under house arrest in Rome, Paul wrote to believers everywhere to offer and receive encouragement. Paul's writings from Rome reveal how powerfully the Holy Spirit acted in reconciling the relationship between him and Mark. 2 Timothy 4.11 frames Paul's new attitude. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. Evidently, Paul recognized a change in Mark, and the 2 could now form a productive team.

Both individuals matured in their walk with Jesus, yet Mark's transformation provides the greatest contrast. Through persistence in following Jesus in spite of failures, he abandoned fear and insecurity to embrace God's peace that surpasses understanding. No longer a hindrance, but instead an asset. His relationship with the other believers improved also. Peter described his value with a short yet powerful statement.

We send you greetings and so does my son Mark. My son. Could any other phrase so powerfully convey Mark's value as a member of the early Church? Yet we know that it was not always this way. We as humans like to elevate certain individuals and regard them as heroes.

We do this in history, politics and religion. While we can learn much from the leaders of our past and present, this approach often fails to consider their flaws and failures. Taken to the extreme, this idea can trick us into believing that we must attain a level of perfection before we can achieve anything worthwhile. When we view Christianity in this way, it prevents us from coming to God just as we are. As Jesus said, it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

Bring your sin-sick soul to Jesus now. Don't wait. The key point we learn from Mark's life is that it does not matter how you have hurt God, others, or yourself. Christ died to save sinners. During Jesus's hour of trial, Mark ran away naked.

When Paul had only just begun his great missionary journey, Mark quit, leaving Paul to find different traveling companions. In the end, God did not give up on Mark, and Mark did not give up on God's love for him. God's plan of salvation has not changed. He eagerly wishes to transform your life. Will you let him?

Thank you for listening to Great and God's Sight, a podcast by GYC Southeast. We hope you have enjoyed this adventure through time and pray it serves to deepen your relationship with God. Each episode aims to draw insight from the life of 1 individual. While we strive to bring you a unique perspective on each believer, we encourage you to use your God-given curiosity to explore these topics for yourself. Please remember to hit the subscribe button and share this episode with your friends via text or social media.

You never know who might be encouraged. Of God. Blessing as you seek to be great in His sight too.

Back to Menu

Series

Great in God's Sight Season 1

Mark: One Young Man

Description

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

Other Teachings in Series

John: the Soul that Knows its Worth

11m

Polycarp: Eighty-Six Years

8m

Justin Martyr: Philosopher to Child of God

11m

Patrick: Unlikely Freedom

10m

Thomas: The Other Half of Faith

9m

Columba: The Dove of Scotland

10m

Jerome, Cyril, and Methodius: Bibles for East and West

10m

William Wilberforce, Part 1: The Great Change

12m

William Wilberforce, Part 2: The Great Cause

13m

Mark: One Young Man

10m

Sound Doctrine