(If you are paying close attention, you will realize I made one of my rare?? mistakes. This was supposed to be yesterday's devotional and yesterday's is supposed to be today's. Oh well.)Barnabas and Saul reached the coast city of Perga in Pamphylia ready to begin a gospel thrust into a region where no one even knew who Jesus was. It would be a productive time, planting churches in Pisidian Antioch, Lystra, Derbe, bringing the message of Christ to the Galatians.
But one of their number did not make the trip. A young disciple named John, whom we know by the name Mark, "left them and went back to Jerusalem." (Acts 13:13) Was he homesick? Did he miss his momma, or perhaps his wife? Was he just scared of the difficult task that lay ahead? We simply do not know, but we do know that his faith was weak and he cut and run.
This is just the beginning of an interesting story. Barnabas and Saul completed the journey and returned to Jerusalem to meet with the Apostles and elders to resolve the issues raised in the book of Galatians - the question as to just how Jewish people had to be to become Christians. After this issue was resolved, Paul and Barnabas decided that it was time to return to the mission field, according to Acts 15:36-41.
That is when the fur flew. Barnabas, the encourager that he was, wanted to give young John Mark another chance. He had grown up and matured. He was now, Barnabas said, ready to serve God and make up for his failure in the first journey. Wait a minute, Paul said. This young man let us down once. Our job is too important to trust it to someone who is going to shrink back in fear and run home when things get tough. The disagreement was so strong that Paul and Barnabas went their separate ways.
But, fortunately, the story doesn't end there. In 2 Timothy 4:11, Paul is facing death. He requests that Mark be brought to him, because he is useful and valuable in Paul's work. It took time, but Paul grew to have great confidence in this young man and all angst over the past was gone and forgotten.
Have you ever blown it like John Mark did? Maybe, like in his case, it was a failure of faith. You shrunk back and ran from the battle. Maybe it was a sin for which you are now ashamed. It could be any number of things.
The good news is that the redemption of Christ continues in our walk with him, and our failures are never fatal or eternal. God forgives the repentant, restores those who return to him and empowers them to walk in the ways of Christ. Just because there is a stain on your past does not mean it has to remain in your future. Jesus renews us daily!
Father, I thank you that all of the sins, failures and mistakes that have come from my life never get the last word. Your grace is greater than all my sin.
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