His name means “warrior.”
But early on Mark had run scared. We don’t know details, but something happened to set him off. Fear of being mocked or worse? Fear of losing the security he felt from familiar surroundings? Fear of not knowing how to fight to win? Whatever, Mark went AWOL. We piece together Mark’s story from Acts in the New Testament, a reference in a letter from Paul, the Gospel that bears his name, and from Church tradition. By the end, Mark makes a remarkable recovery and lives and dies, living up to his name – “Warrior.” As a young man Mark joined Paul and Barnabas when the community of Jesus-followers in Antioch commissioned then to plant churches around the Mediterranean. It proved dangerous adventure that Mark couldn’t endure. Shortly after the mission began Mark turned tail and headed home. Only he could explain why.
Mark surfaces again some months later, after Paul and Barnabas return, meet with leaders in Jerusalem and strategize for another trip. Big-hearted Barnabas wants to give Mark another shot. Paul vehemently objects. The two nearly come to blows over the matter and in the end they split up. Paul takes Silas on planned trip. Barnabas takes Mark and heads to Cypress. Barnabas saw Mark’s potential as he had once seen Paul’s potential when other Christians couldn’t trust him. Barnabas had a heart to restore Mark; Paul had the task to accomplish. Both good causes, but rooted in different values. Paul succeeded. So did Barnabas. Mark grew up, and out of his fear. Tradition says that Mark became a colleague of Peter and in time the leader of the North African church of Alexandria. Mark was martyred during the persecutions of Nero. In the end he didn’t run away.
Not long before his death Mark had a novel idea, literally. Having listened carefully to Peter’s retelling of Jesus’ life and teachings, he decided to write the stories in a narrative. The result was the Gospel of Mark. Taking Mark’s example, Matthew, Luke, and John followed with accounts of their own filling in details Mark did not originally include. The tone of Mark’s account is bold. He wrote for Romans who valued practical action. Mark’s Jesus is a man of action, at war with the demons of hell and their human allies. Yet Jesus fights, not with a sword or political maneuvers but with a few, powerful chosen words. Mark conquered his fears and became what his name denotes. He became a warrior who fought as Jesus fights – with a few choice words. As Mark borrowing from Jesus, so can we by wielding his simple, practical, powerful statements of truth.
Jesus doesn’t say much in Mark’s Gospel.
But when he speaks, things happen. Here’s a suggestion. Read the book straight through in one sitting. Read it aloud. Let the cryptic punch of the narrative go to work. As you read, follow Jesus. Don’t think your way along. Those who first followed Jesus didn’t understand anything about the process before they started. And whatever expectations they had were dead wrong in the end. They simply moved out. Jesus said, “Come along” and then he turned and walked off. He even got them involved first before they understood things. Peter was healing people and casting out demons long before he “confessed” that Jesus was the Christ. Maybe we have things backward. Maybe we try to get the ideas down first when actually we’re supposed to act and then later come to grips with what it means.
Mark is a book about action. Jesus’ followers started doing what he did and saying what Jesus said and they got to know him by experience. In time their minds caught up, but to begin with, they just moved. I become a Jesus follower – a Christian – in the same way. I do what Jesus is doing and say what Jesus is saying. I borrow Jesus exact words and use them in situations like the situations he faced when he lived on earth. As I leverage Jesus’ words, Jesus himself will be in me “doing his stuff” because Jesus and Jesus’ words are one and the same.
People ask, “How do I be a Christian?” Simple: put Jesus words to work in your life and through your life. Today it can begin. Here are some pressing questions. These questions frame the challenges we face in life. But Jesus has an answer for every one.
• Where is the devil attacking?
• Where is their sin – in my life and in the world?
• What is out of control?
• Where is there pain?
• What am I afraid of?
• Where is there a need?
• Am I staying alert?
Read Mark’s Gospel with these questions before you. Watch Jesus closely. How does he address these basic human needs? As the stories unfold, imagine doing the same at the “Tuesday moments” of your life.
Leave a Reply