ST. MARK, EVANGELIST
29 April Anno T Domini 2009 (Observed)
"Useful for Ministryâ€
2 Timothy 4:11
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
"Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.†That bare mention at the end of 2 Timothy, which was at the end of Paul's life, tells us that the story had a happy ending.
Do you remember the story? Paul and Barnabas were sent out on their first missionary journey, to preach the Gospel throughout the Gentile province of Galatia. Mark, whose full name was John Mark, was with them. But, not for long. Less than half way through the journey, Mark got cold feet. Maybe he was homesick. Maybe he was just plain scared of what lie ahead of them. Whatever the case, Mark turned back. He bowed out and did not complete the journey with them. He went home.
A couple years later, Paul and Barnabas were preparing to set off on their second missionary journey to visit the churches the Holy Spirit had established through them on their first missionary journey, and to preach the Gospel to others who had not yet heard. But, there was a sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas wanted to take Mark, but Paul refused. No way was Paul having Mark accompany them again - cousin of Barnabas or not. He had failed them before. He couldn't be trusted. He wasn't dependable, and Paul was not going to risk bringing him along. Barnabas fervently disagreed with Paul. He wanted to give Mark a second chance. And so it was that the argument between Paul and Barnabas over Mark became so severe that they ended up parting ways. Barnabas took Mark and sailed off on their own missionary journey, while Paul chose for himself Silas and embarked on his second missionary journey.
That's all we hear about Mark until the mention of him in today's epistle lesson, towards the end of Paul's life. Paul instructs Timothy to bring Mark to him, Mark who is "useful to me for my ministry.â€
What happened? Why did Paul have a change of heart concerning Mark? We can only guess at the details, but we know with certainty why it transpired. You cannot live in the love of Jesus Christ and harbor resentment. You cannot live in the forgiveness of Christ and refuse to forgive. It's impossible.
No question that John Mark was wrong to turn back. But if Paul was going to go on living and serving this Lord of His who had knocked him off his horse on the Damascus road and turned him into the apostle of grace, then grace would have to have the final say in all his relationships too. Forgiveness won over Paul's heart. How could it be any other way?
And forgiveness is a powerful force. Mark may have turned back once upon a time and abandoned the mission, but in the forgiving love of His Savior, he grew ever more bold. Mark never turned back again. He displayed faithful courage for the rest of his life. He not only received Paul's forgiveness, but lived in the forgiveness he received from the Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for Mark's sins, and indeed for the sins of the whole world.
Mark was useful to Paul's ministry, which is to say, that he was useful to the Lord's ministry, for they are one in the same. The Lord chose Mark to accompany Peter and to write down, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter's story of Christ - what we call today the Gospel of Mark. It took courage to hang out with Peter those last months as Peter was condemned and sentenced to death. And it was with both courage and joy that Mark journeyed to Alexandria, and became the bishop of that city, only to be martyred for proclaiming to any and all the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Far from fleeing the mission, Mark ended his life a mighty witness to the Savior whose blood blotted out the sins of the world and whose resurrection busted a hole right through death. Mark, like all of the men chosen by our Lord to establish His Holy Christian Church, is a wonderful example to all who know Jesus Christ by faith. We can take comfort in looking at the life of St. Mark, knowing that he was forgiven of his early cowardice and empowered by that forgiveness to courageously confess the faith right up to his dying breath. We can take comfort for we know that there is hope for us, too, for in the same way, our Lord forgives us all our sins and empowers us by that forgiveness to live faithful lives, boldly confessing our faith. The Lord makes us - even us - useful for His ministry.
So, today, the Church honors St. Mark and rejoices in his faithful witness to the world. The Church rejoices in his Gospel, his writing down of Peter's witness. And she rejoices that in Christ, those set at odds with each other, can lay aside their accusations and self-righteousness and rejoice together as fellow recipients at the Table of the mercy of the Crucified, Risen and Reigning Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all glory and dominion, forever and ever! Amen.
Now the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, unto life everlasting. Amen.