Comeback: Deserter to Leader (John Mark)

John Mark could be the Forrest Gump of the New Testament!  Not because of his intelligence or athletic ability.  But because of all the famous people he rubbed shoulders with!  You may not have ever noticed him, but he's there and has a remarkable story!

He first appears in Acts 12:12.  He's identified as being present in the home of his mother Mary when the church gathered there to pray for Simon Peter when he was in prison.  

Then he's noted in Acts 13:5 as being with Paul and Barnabas in Cyprus as they began their missionary journey.  He didn't stay with them long.  Acts 13:13 says he left them to return home to Jerusalem.  It doesn't seem like a big deal at the time.  But Acts 15:38 says he deserted them.

Paul and Barnabas continued their journey, eventually returning to Antioch.  After a time, Paul proposed that they go back to all the cities they visited on their first trip and see how the churches were doing.  Barnabas agreed, but wanted to take Mark with them.  Paul disagreed because Mark had left them high and dry in Pamphylia.  These two great missionaries got into a heated dispute about it.  Finally, they decided to part ways.  Barnabas took Mark and headed for Cyprus.  Paul took Silas and headed for Syria.

This would be sad if it were the end of the story between Paul and Mark.  But it isn't.  Written years later, Paul says in Colossians 4:10 that Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, is with him, apparently helping him while Paul was in prison.  This is the same guy!  Then in 2 Timothy 4:11, Paul wrote of how helpful Mark had been to him!

What happened?  In the intervening years, Mark had somehow regained Paul's trust.  Knowing Paul, that was probably difficult to do!  Yet he did!

This tells us that when we fail, we can have a comeback too!  We all needed Barnabases and Pauls.  We need Barnabases to lift us up and encourage us.  We need Pauls to challenge us and hold us accountable.

Maybe you think God is through with you because you've failed in a ministry in some way.  Think again and remember Mark! 

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