John Mark, a young man, had joined Paul and Barnabas in their first missionary journey (Acts 13:4-5).
For some unspecified reason(s), he abandoned the missions trip (v.13). Perhaps he was homesick. Perhaps he couldn’t take the tough life of the mission field. Paul was ticked because of John Mark’s lack of commitment and because he abandoned the mission.
Three years after his first missionary journey, Paul wanted to revisit the same cities to encourage the new believers there (15:35-36). Barnabas wanted to bring John Mark along for this second missionary trip. Paul strongly disagreed. He felt that the young man had proven himself unreliable (vv.37-38). To Paul, the mission was important. Paul was right in not taking Mark. To Barnabas, the man was important. Barnabas was right in wanting to take him. Entrenched in their convictions, “their disagreement was so sharp that they separated” (v.39).
John Mark had failed before. But Barnabas believed that Mark deserved a second chance. Barnabas saw the value and potential in his young cousin who had been rejected as a failure (Colossians 4:10). Barnabas saw beyond John Mark’s failure to restoration and a future usefulness and effectiveness.
Given a second chance, John Mark made it good. Later, Paul acknowledged (perhaps almost apologetically) that John Mark was a great help to him in the ministry (2 Timothy 4:11). This young reject went on to write the book that bears his name—the Gospel of Mark.
Can you remember a time when you failed, and a Barnabas came alongside—believing in you and restoring you to wholeness and usefulness? It’s your turn. There are John Marks all around you who are crying out for a second chance. Will you be a Barnabas to them?
More:
• Isaiah 35:3-4
• Matthew 11:28-30
• Philemon 1:11-12
Next:
Are you more like Paul or Barnabas in your interaction with people who have failed? To which “John Mark” in your life will you extend healing and restoring words today?
The G Man on September 14, 2009 at 8:51 am
kt sim, your reading today is awesome I;m blessed by it both personaly and being able to share it in a mission this week where I get go and share the love of Christ with men like me.God bless
GOD is good
G man
mileny05 on September 14, 2009 at 11:13 am
Amazing, love it! We all are good and deserve second changes. I’m a Paul, well a Paula:)
evelyn on September 15, 2009 at 3:36 am
thanks for the post. it’s a reminder to all of us that in every failure there is a chance for redemption. We all need to learn to accept failure, ours and others, and look at it as a chance to learn and grow. We all also need to be an encourager like Barnabas, instead of condemning, putting down or belittling the mistakes or failures of others.
joyce on September 15, 2009 at 11:14 am
Thank you for the encouraging reminders that God uses both Paul types and Barnabas types; that a disagreement in how to do things may not necessarily be bad; and that even when we fail because we are not all exceedingly competent like Paul, God can still use us if we don’t give up.
I am a little like a Paul in that I am intense when I believe I know what God wants. My husband is a Barnabas, full of mercy and patience. I think that our children benefit from both of us. I state what is expected, but my husband encourages them to not give up and learn from their mistakes. And he encourages me to be patient as we work out how to raise our children to love and fear God.
As a Mark, however, I greatly appreciate that my husband is a Barnabas.