Another Chance

The Gospel of Mark was written by the man known in Acts as John Mark. But did you know that, were it not for Barnabas, the second gospel might never have been written?

First – some backstory: We find at the end of Acts 12 that Barnabas and Saul (Paul) decided to bring John (also called Mark) with them on their first missionary journey. But then something went wrong. We don’t know what it was. All the text tells us in the next chapter is that John left them and returned home.

That desertion did not sit well with Paul. We know that to be the case because in Acts 15, when Barnabas and Paul set out on their next missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take Mark along, but Paul insisted they not do so. Their disagreement was so intense, was so sharp, that Barnabas and Paul split up. Barnabas took Mark to Cyprus. Paul took Silas and went into Syria.

Now, to give Paul a nod, he did finally come around regarding Mark. I suspect as Paul matured in his own faith, he realized he’d treated the young man poorly. When Paul was imprisoned in Rome, just before his execution, he told Timothy to “Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.”

As I’ve read that vignette in Acts 15 when Paul adamantly refused to give Mark another chance at missionary work – what might have happened to the young man if Barnabas had not come to the rescue and taken him under his wing? Would Mark have slipped into obscurity? Would he have felt so badly about himself that he might have even give up on Jesus?

I think such a possibility is not too far-fetched. How many people have you known of who made bad choices in life and then were cast aside by other Christians who seemed to forget where they themselves had come from?

Isn’t it good when such people meet their own Barnabas? Only God knows how many John Marks are in our sphere of influence, John Marks who have made their share of mistakes, but who – with YOUR help and encouragement – will one day be used by God to write a ‘gospel’ message that will exalt the Lord Jesus and lead others to a saving knowledge of Him.

The take-home message? St. Paul needed to grow up. Can that be said of you and me? But Barnabas was God's man for the hour in Mark’s life. Wouldn’t it be nice if you and I became a Barnabas for someone who needs another chance?