Jump Start # 1530

2 Timothy 4:11 “Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.”

  Yesterday, our attention was on the front side of this verse, only Luke is with me. Paul was in a Roman prison and he was aware that he would most likely be executed. He was hurrying to wrap things up and set things in order before his death.

Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you. Bring Mark. That’s our attention today. Mark, he’s the one that wrote the Gospel of Mark. He’s the one that was the cousin of Barnabas. He’s the one that left Paul while on one of the preaching trips. He’s the one that was the center of a huge disagreement between Barnabas and Paul. Barnabas wanted to take Mark. Paul didn’t. That disagreement ended with Paul and Barnabas going their separate ways. We don’t hear anymore about Barnabas after that. And now, all these years later, Paul is in prison and he asks Timothy to bring Mark. Paul reminds Timothy, if he had any doubts, that Mark is “useful to me for service.”

There is a double sided lesson here for us. You see, there are times in our journey that we have a Mark in our life. What Paul did here in this simple request reminds us of some powerful principles taught throughout the N.T.

The Mark Side: Mark let Paul down. Paul didn’t take kids with him on his preaching journeys. The situations were difficult. The crowds often turned against the preached word. Paul was chased out of towns. He was arrested. He was stoned. This wasn’t a sight-seeing, trip. It was work. It was preaching Christ. It was changing lives. It was forming congregations. As Paul moved on to different cities, he would leave trusted companions in these places who would stay and strengthen these young Christians. Paul would leave men who were able to teach and answer questions and further preach the Gospel. Men, like Luke, were proven, solid and faithful. Mark was among them. In Acts 13, we learn that as Paul and his group traveled to Perga, that Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. He had enough. He was done. Paul lost someone that he was counting on. Paul was abandoned by Mark.

But something happened after that. Mark became useful to Paul. Now, Paul was sending for Mark. The Mark side reminds us that there are times that others, or, even we, ourselves, have let people down. They were counting on us and we walked away. Maybe our hearts were not as committed as it should have been. Maybe we were torn with conflicting schedules. We are asked to teach a class, but just as it starts, we quit. That leaves others scrambling to fill the vacancy. We are honored to serve as an elder or deacon but soon step down. Just do not have the time for it, we tell others. Letting others down is hard. It is found even in this section of our passage. As Paul faced Caesar, he reports, “At my first defense, no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.” Alone. Deserted. Let down. Paul seems to have experienced this throughout his life. The emptiness of loneliness can damage faith. A person can be a member of a large congregation, but still feel alone. They feel alone in their journey. They feel that they face their problems alone. Loneliness becomes severe when one thought others would be there, but they were not. To be deserted, to be abandoned—that is the depth of the valley of loneliness. Mark was responsible for doing that to Paul. But now, he changed. He was useful. He learned. He changed. He found the courage. He looked beyond himself to what the kingdom needed from him. He stepped it up.

Unlike Judas, after he betrayed the Lord, he simply quit life. He took his life. Mark didn’t do that. Mark didn’t throw in the towel on his faith. He didn’t quit walking with Jesus. Mark changed. That’s the lesson for us. Sure we have hurt others. Certainly, we have let others down. People were counting on us, and we were not there. We messed up. We weren’t there when they needed us. It was our fault. We were wrong. Quit or change? Mark changed. Mark became better. Mark became useful. That’s our ticket. That’s our example. So, you hurt others in the past. Do right now. Learn from your mistake. Don’t quit for good. Learn from Mark.

Paul’s side: Paul has a side in this as well. He was so upset with Mark back in Acts, that he would not take him with on the next journey. Mark had to prove himself. Mark had to gain trust again. Paul allowed that. Paul allowed for Mark to change. Paul gave Mark a second chance. How often does someone hurt us, and that’s it for life. We are done with them. Never again, we say. Finished with them. Find someone else. Ignore them, exclude them, don’t count on them because they are not dependable. We pour concrete around those feelings and that’s the way we remain. Forever. Not Paul. Not God. God is in the second chance business. God used Mark to write one of the Gospels. God gave the run-a-way a second chance. Paul did, too. This comes with forgiveness. This comes with extending opportunity again. Mark showed that he was worthy. He had changed and Paul allowed him to change.

It’s that allowing to change that we sometimes stumble on. “Once a drunk, always a drunk,” really? “He lied once, I’ll never trust anything he says again.” Really? What if the person changes? What if they show themselves to be worthy? What if they are now useful? Will you still label them a loser? Will you not give them a second chance? Remember, you are not the poster child of perfection. None of us are. We have all let God down. We have let others down, as well. Without a second chance, we would be ruined.

It’s hard to be a Mark when you have disappointed others. It’s hard to be a Paul when you were hurt by others.

Bring Mark. He’s useful. He’s a good one. I need him. I can depend upon him. I wonder if those words were more for Mark or for Timothy. The young preacher Timothy would have a long journey that involved times when people would disappoint him and let him down. Maybe those words would help. Maybe the grand example would open Timothy’s eyes. Maybe the grand example would open my eyes.

Bring Mark. Is it time for you to call the Mark in your life? Is it time that you allowed someone a second chance? Is someone trying to gain your trust back? Isn’t it time for you to open that door?

Only Luke…Bring Mark—what a great passage.

Roger