ST. MARK REVEALS A SAVIOR WHO DOES NOT DISAPPOINT.
In the name + of Jesus.
Without really knowing him, you probably
have a great respect for St. Mark the Evangelist. How could you fail to admire one of four
writers of the Gospels? Perhaps it would
be good for you to learn the rest of the story.
You may find him disappointing.
St. Mark
was raised by a godly woman named Mary.
(His father is not mentioned.)
She was a resident of Jerusalem and was among the first Christians. Her home was used as a gathering place for
Christians to worship and pray (Acts 12:12).
Although not one of the apostles, Mark seems to have been a witness of
at least some of Jesus’ ministry. In his
gospel, Mark includes an interesting note following the arrest of Jesus in
Gethsemane. He wrote, “A certain
young man was following him, wearing just a linen cloth over his naked
body. They seized him, but he left
behind the linen cloth and fled from them naked” (Mark 14:51-52). Many agree that this was Mark referring to
himself. If he was able to escape the
guard, he might have been a pretty shifty runner. You might be disappointed to learn that Mark
would also end up running away at a later date.
Mark had
accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. He traveled with them to the island of
Cyprus. From there, they sailed to the
mainland to a city called Pamphylia, which is in modern-day Turkey. We don’t know why, but that’s where Mark ran
away and returned home. Later, when Paul
and Barnabas were planning to revisit the churches they had founded, Paul
refused to bring Mark along. That
suggests that Mark’s reason for abandoning the work on the first missionary
journey was inexcusable. Mark had failed
to fulfill his duties faithfully.
Although Barnabas was willing to give his cousin, Mark, another chance
to serve, St. Paul was unwilling to take the risk. To him, Mark was a disappointment and,
therefore, unwelcome.
Mark was
likely a young man, perhaps even a teenager, which means that you might have a
lot in common with him. You have heard
Jesus’ teachings. You probably come from
a devout Christian family. And, like
Mark, you don’t always live up to your intentions in serving the Lord. Many of you have taken a confirmation
vow. You swore before God and his church
that you would willingly suffer all things, even death, rather than turn away from
your Lord. And I have no doubt that you
meant it. That vow is easy to make
surrounded by your family and the family of believers who were gathered at your
church with you.
But once
you have found yourself surrounded by people who do not share your faith, whose
speech is peppered with obscenities, and who cheer for perverse behavior and
think you are weird because you don’t, it is not so easy to stand firm in your
faith. That confirmation vow takes a bit
of a beating. Maybe your parents were disappointed
in your choices. Maybe you were
disappointed in yourself. You would not
be the first. There is a reason King
David taught us to pray in the Psalms, “Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways. According to
your mercy remember me, because of your goodness, O Lord.” (Psalm 25:7). Those of us who are older have prayed that
prayer often. We can still feel the disappointment
of poor choices from our past. Mark
probably prayed it, too. You are not
unique in your struggles.
If you
have a desire to serve the Lord, it is because the Holy Spirit has planted that
desire in you. If you are disappointed
in yourself over your sins, the Holy Spirit has planted that in you as
well. We all prove ourselves to be
sinners. You may be frustrated by
it. You may even despise yourself for
it. But it is not a reason to
despair. The Lord Jesus Christ came for
sinners. He does not disown you because you
are weak. He remains faithful to you
amid your struggles. You may not live up
to whatever vows or promises, but the Lord has made a vow to you. St. Mark recorded it for you: “Whoever
believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16).
You will
notice that Jesus did not say, “Whoever believes and performs up to a certain
level.” He did not say, “Whoever
believes and overcomes all temptations.”
He did not say, “Whoever believes and does not let me down.” Our Lord promises salvation to all who are
baptized and who trust in him. You and I
do not have the righteousness which God demands, but Jesus provides it. Whoever believes in Jesus has it. Whoever has been baptized into Christ is
covered in it. Therefore, you are not
judged according to your merits, but according to Jesus’ merits. Those who trust in Jesus for forgiveness and
salvation will never have their hopes disappointed.
I had said
that you should know the rest of the story about St. Mark. There is a bit more to the story. It did not end with St. Paul’s disappointment
of Mark. Young Mark grew in faith, in
maturity, and in his commitment to the Lord.
He was devoted to God’s word. He
was fed by the Lord’s Supper. And he continued
to serve the Lord in his kingdom. The
Gospel he wrote is regarded as the memoirs of St. Peter. That means Mark accompanied Peter in his
work. Even St. Paul changed his mind
about Mark. Paul mentions Mark in his
letters to the Colossians and to Philemon, showing that Mark had become a
fellow minister with St. Paul. Shortly
before he was put to death, St. Paul wrote to Timothy and implored him to come
to him. He included this request: “Get
Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me for ministry” (2
Timothy 4:11). Not only did Paul ask
for Mark, Paul praised him for his usefulness.
You will
also continue to grow in the faith, and the Lord has use for you in his
church—whether you would become a full-time church worker like Mark or whether
you will support that work like Mark’s mother, Mary. Do not let the struggles of youth sour you
about your future. The rest of your
story has yet to be written. So, be
devoted to God’s word. Partake in the
sacrament as often as you can. If you
are disappointed in yourself because of your sins, go to your pastor and
confess them so that he will absolve you of them. Neither the Lord nor your pastor will ever be
disappointed in a broken and contrite heart.
As you continue to receive God’s mercy and to grow in the faith, the
Holy Spirit will build your courage so that you will confess the faith in your
words and your works.
We have pondered St. Mark’s story. But the story St. Mark would have you cling to is the one he wrote about Jesus. Mark proclaimed to you all that the Savior has done for you so that you will find peace and purpose and pleasure in him. You will never be disappointed in Jesus’ promises, and he is not disappointed that you are his.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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