SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/16/2017
12:29 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
The Man with a Surprising Future
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Colossians
4:10b
Message of the
verses: “and also Barnabas’ cousin
Mark (about whom you received instructions:
if he comes to you, welcome him ;)”
When I studied the book of Mark I learned things about
John Mark, things that one finds out when they study a book that was authored
by this man. John Mark, as this verse
states was the cousin of Barnabas who was a very good man who is mentioned 28
times in the New Testament. First we
meet him in Acts chapter four when he sold some property and gave the proceeds
to the Apostles who would use it in the early church. As far as Mark it is believed that he
authored the book bearing his name with the help of Peter, and he was very
fortunate in having known both Peter and Paul.
At the end of the book of Mark when Jesus is led off to be crucified we
read of a young man who runs away naked getting away from those who were taking
Jesus away, and it is believed that this was John. It is also believed the Mark’s family was
somewhat rich too. I suppose that the
most famous story of Mark when he left Paul on their first Missionary journey,
and it is really not known why he did this although because he was so young
many speculate that it was because of fear.
Paul was so upset that when he left for his second missionary journey
that he would not take Mark with him because of him leaving them on the first
missionary journey. However as we
continue to look at the events of Mark’s life we learn that he and Paul patched
things up as seen in this last part of Colossians 4:10. Let us look at 2 Timothy 4:11 which is the
last letter of Paul’s recorded in the word of God, penned shortly before his
death: “Only Luke is with me. Pick up
Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.”
John MacArthur concludes his writing on Mark: “We might also call Mark the man with a
second chance. His life was a testimony
to God’s ability to use failures. In
fact, he later received a privilege shared by only three other men in
history: writing one of the gospels.”
In our study of the book of John we are looking at the 21st
chapter of his gospel where Jesus reinstates Peter back into His service which
is a testimony of His grace. Peter
denied knowing Jesus three times and yet Peter became one of the greatest men
of the early church and it was all because of the grace given to him by our
Lord. John Mark had a similar story of
the grace of God in his life, going from a young man to maturing into someone
who was useful to the apostle Paul, and also a friend of Peter who helped him
pen his gospel.
I find this an interesting study looking at the people
that Paul mentions at the end of this letter to the Colossians.
6/16/2017 12:52 AM
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