The service for the Festival of St. Mark, Evangelist was also in conjunction with emphasis on Martin Luther College (New Ulm, Minnesota) and the Equipping Christian Witnesses campaign.
M: Alleluia. Christ is risen!
C: He is risen indeed! Alleluia.
As we
consider how the Lord blessed the church through the ministry of St. Mark the
Evangelist, we are also considering how the Lord will bless the church through
future pastors and teachers—particularly through Martin Luther College in New
Ulm, Minnesota.
Where
does the next generation of pastors and teachers come from? They come
from the same place they have always come from—from among God’s people.
John Mark came from a godly household. His mother, Mary, opened her house
up to a group of Christians who met there for Divine Services, prayer, and for
fellowship. We don’t hear of Mark’s father, but his mother’s faith—both
confessed and practiced devoutly—left an impression on St. Mark. The
Christian faith also mattered to him.
When Paul
and Barnabas went on their first missionary journey, Mark accompanied them to
Cyprus. However, something went wrong. The book of Acts noted
this: “Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to
Perga in Pamphylia. And (Mark) left
them and returned to Jerusalem” (Acts 13:13). St. Luke does not
record why Mark left. Was he homesick? Did he consider encountering
unfamiliar people too dangerous? Did he think the work was too
hard? Whatever the reason, Paul did not think it was a valid one.
When Paul
and Barnabas were preparing for their second missionary journey, “Barnabas
wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul thought best not
to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not
gone with them to the work. And there arose a sharp disagreement, so
that they separated from each other” (Acts 15:37-39). In short, Paul
considered Mark unreliable. Paul’s conclusion was that Mark was not fit
for this kind of ministry.
So, who
is worthy of the ministry? No one. No one is a pastor or teacher
because he deserves it. The respect you have for pastors and teachers is
appreciated and beneficial, but pastors and teachers recognize their own
faults, weaknesses, and sins. They might think, “If you saw me in high
school or college, you might not want me as your pastor anymore.” And
it’s not like a diploma or a divine call has perfected any called worker.
Pastors and teachers remember their failings much more vividly than their
successes. The devil taunts people who hold a holy office: “What gives
you the right to hold the office you do with your attitude and your past?”
St. Mark’s weaknesses and failings are still shared and felt by ministers in
the Church.
Such
fears are not unique to pastors and teachers. Who can boast, “I have been
a perfect parent”? Who would claim, “I am faultless as a spouse”?
Even if you think so, what would your spouse say? We all have sins that
haunt us and plague us. There is a good reason the Psalms teach us to pray, “Remember
not the sins of my youth” (Psalm 25:7). We might conclude that our
place in God’s kingdom is suspect as we realize our lives do not line up well
with our confession. If you feel that you are useless because you have
failings, you can bet that it is not the Lord Jesus Christ who is telling you
that. The devil wants to drive you to despair. But the devil is a
liar.
Satan may
accurately track, detail, and date all your sins, but he lies when he tells you
that they stand against you. For this is what the Lord says: “The
blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). The
Lord has purified you through the blood of Christ which was shed for you at the
cross, which was applied to you at the font, and which continues to be given to
you at this altar. “There is therefore now no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). The Lord does not
remember you according to your faults. Rather, he assures you that “as
many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ”
(Galatians 3:27). When the Lord looks upon you, he sees the
righteousness, innocence, and blessedness of Jesus Christ. He is pleased
to call you his own. You are chosen and precious to him. And he
will work in you to produce the very fruits of faith he seeks. Your works
may not be flawless, but they are still useful. Even a stammering
preacher like St. Paul can still get his message across. You are beneficial to others, useful to the
Church, and pleasing to Christ. This is true for all Christians.
All of God’s people are saints. And from all the saints, God calls some
to be pastors and teachers for the benefit of his church. The Lord
provides useful ministers for his church.
It is
hard to know what Paul’s and Barnabas’ argument concerning St. Mark was
about. Yes, he had left them on their first journey, but a few years had
gone by. Perhaps Barnabas recognized that Mark had matured both emotionally
and spiritually. Paul would have none of it. “There
arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other.
Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus” (Acts 15:39).
Although Paul refused Mark’s company, Barnabas insisted that Mark was
useful. They travelled on to Cyprus to serve the churches there.
The Lord provided a useful minister to his church.
Now, St.
Mark was not an apostle. He was not chosen personally by Jesus and
endowed with the gifts of an apostle. But he was still useful to the
church. St. Mark was an Evangelist, meaning that he wrote one of the four
Gospels in our New Testament. The Church from the earliest days has
credited Mark to be the author of this Gospel and St. Peter to be the source of
its content. Mark’s association with the apostles was not limited to
Peter. Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy while awaiting his
execution in Rome. He wrote, “Do your best to come to me
soon. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to
me for ministry” (2 Timothy 4:9,11). Eventually, even the
apostle Paul discovered that Mark was a useful minister.
Either
Mark had proven himself reliable over time, or Paul softened on his opinion. After all, Paul had his own sins from the
past he would just assume forget. Peter did too. Peter and Paul
were apostles, but they were no more holy than Mark or you. They had
regrets and sins from their past, and these enabled them to have compassion on
others who had also stumbled in the faith or who were ensnared in sins outside
of the church. The longer you live, the more likely you are to develop compassion
on people in their sins. You can recall your foolish choices, or moments
when your judgment was shameful. When you see others committing those
same sins, rather than being judgmental, you pause and consider, “Yes, I
remember doing the same thing. I understand how you found that
attractive, but I was wrong to do it, and so are you. Repent and believe the
good news. Jesus takes away your sins and
covers your shame. You are precious to
him.”
You and I
cannot excuse sins because God doesn’t.
But when we see others commit sins, our desire is to draw them out from
under them so that they will not be crushed by them. You know what it is
to be hounded by the memories of bad decisions, of using other people, or of
abandoning those who were depending upon you. You know the relief of
being absolved of your guilt and the joy of being assured that the Lord does
not hold your sins against you. You know what it is to be forgiven, and you
know how much this relief and joy would benefit others. Who better than
you to proclaim the mercy of God to friends and family who need it?
Whether you are a minister or not, this is most useful.
Perhaps
that is why Paul softened on his opinion of St. Mark. Perhaps that is why
Peter also welcomed Mark in his company. They were all flawed, but they
could also rejoice together in the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world. The Lord provided useful ministers from flawed men whose faults have
been recorded for us. The Holy Spirit revealed their sins so that we do
not get the idea that only superior saints are useful in the kingdom of
God. The Lord provides useful ministers to his church, and he gives us
all opportunities to serve God’s people—whether apostles, evangelists, pastors,
teachers, church council officers, parents, teens, or whoever you are.
Since we
are referring to Paul’s epistle for this sermon, we ought to consider a few
words about that. Paul knew his life was at its end, and he wrote, “I
have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the
faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that
day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2
Timothy 4:7-8). We might get the impression that Paul was
claiming he had earned the reward which was coming to him. But if you
look at everything Paul wrote, you would know that is not true. Paul was
saved by Jesus who took up his sins, who credited him with righteousness, who
conquered death, and who make Paul his own through holy baptism. This is
true for all who believe in Jesus, who have loved his appearing. We love
our Lord who appeared upon earth to gain for us the resurrection to life and to
glory.
Paul
further expressed his confidence, taking God at his word, when he wrote, “The
Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly
kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:18). Paul knew that he would face the sword
soon. He was not begging to escape that. He was certain that he
would be rescued from sin and death. He
might die by martyrdom, but he would not perish. No curse would ever
touch him. Jesus had delivered him from his sins. Jesus promised
deliverance from the grave. Jesus guarantees heavenly bliss to all who
believe in him. This confidence is not just for Paul, but for all who
believe and are baptized.
That is why the Lord had St. Mark record for us the words and works of Jesus Christ. And that is why the Lord sends ministers to his church—to proclaim to troubled, flawed people that Jesus Christ will rescue us from every evil deed and bring us safely into his heavenly kingdom. Whether this message comes from pastors and teachers, from parents to their children, from friend to friend, or from one of us to another, it is most useful and most important.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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