Before we get started, it would be good to get some context for the Gospel of Mark. The second account of Jesus’ life is attributed to “Mark” and though there is some speculation about who this Mark is, there are a couple of things that narrow him down to a young man first mentioned in Acts 12. One, he was widely known in the 2nd and 3rd century as an apprentice of Peter and Paul, and particularly, the interpreter of Peter. Two, there is internal evidence in the New Testament itself that points to Mark’s authorship. Let’s explore this together.
What is Mark’s story and why does it matter? After Jesus died, resurrected, ascended into the heavens, and sent His Spirit to indwell all who trusted Him, His followers began to walk in obedience to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:47-49; John 20:21; Acts 1:8). The Gospel began to spread throughout Jerusalem and Judea and some leaders were beginning to be killed for the faith. In Acts 12, King Herod kills James and throws Peter in prison. Things are looking bleak. The early church gathered at the “house of Mary, the mother of John, whose other name was Mark,” (Acts 12:12) where they were praying for Peter’s release. After Herod died, Luke (the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts) tells us that Barnabas and Saul (Paul) returned to Antioch from Jerusalem, “bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark” (Acts 12:25). Twice in 14 verses, Luke makes sure the reader understands that this John, actually goes by Mark.
We learn from the letter Paul wrote to the Colossians that Mark was Barnabas’ cousin (Colossians 4:10), but his storyline takes quite a twist in Acts 13-15. Paul’s first missionary journey from Antioch included Barnabas and John Mark, but after their stop in Cyprus, Luke tells us that “John left them and returned to Jerusalem” (Acts 13:13). This did not sit well with Paul because when it came time for Barnabas and him to go on their second missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to bring his cousin, Mark. Paul wasn’t having it, thinking it best “not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work” (Acts 15:38). Luke further records that Paul and Barnabas had “a sharp disagreement so that they separated from each other” (Acts 15:39).
Now, it’s not far-fetched to believe that Mark felt much shame over his abandonment. No one knows why he left; perhaps he was scared, homesick, or unsure of the claims of Christ. The stakes were high to follow Jesus in those days. They still are in our day too. Regardless, his actions were a direct cause of Paul and Barnabas leading separate ministries in the years to come. That’s weighty. God multiplied the mission through this, but if the Gospel is a message of reconciliation, what happened to Paul and Mark?
Acts does not record this, but we pick up some clues in a couple of Paul’s letters he wrote about 10 years later. As stated earlier, Mark is mentioned in Colossians, but Paul calls him his “fellow worker” in the letter to Philemon, a letter about reconciliation. Perhaps the clearest place we see what happened with Paul and Mark is in Paul’s last letter he wrote, 2 Timothy. At the end of the letter, Paul tells Timothy to bring Mark with him to visit because “Mark is very useful to me for ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11).
2 Timothy was most likely written several years after Mark had written his Gospel. It’s easy to imagine that Mark would have been recording Peter’s stories and writing his Gospel, with a lump in his throat a lot of the time. To meditate on Jesus and record His words and deeds, and yet be unreconciled with Paul would have been a painful experience. What Mark’s personal journey teaches us is that following Jesus is just that, a journey. It’s costly, and sometimes Christians can get sideways with one another. But even when things are not right, God can still use you powerfully. I imagine the whole experience turned Mark to the Lord, asking for forgiveness, and/or the ability to reconcile even as he continued to do the Lord’s work. The writing of the Gospel of Mark was perhaps marked with a brokenness and a longing for the return of Jesus. This ‘sense’ bleeds through the pages of the Gospel.
And in the infinite mercy of our Lord, Mark was granted that reconciliation, albeit many years later. One of the key things that the Lord used to reconcile them was a partnership in a common mission: getting the Gospel to the ends of the earth and making disciples of those who were already established in the faith.
Mark’s story exemplifies for us that unity and usefulness are possible when a humble embracing of the mission of God and an openness to reconcile all relationships stays at the forefront of one’s mind and heart. This is the kind of power that grace has when it is received and acted upon.