Teaching and Forgiveness

II Timothy 4:9-12

Back in 2005, I worked at Chick-fil-A in Valrico (outside of Tampa, FL). We had this 15-year-old that had been hired and she seemed nice enough. However, one night an assistant manager told me that they were considering firing her. When I enquired as to why, they told me that she didn't do anything other than take orders from customers. I worked in the back cooking most of the time, but after I spoke with a few other people who worked in the front, I learned that they all agreed. She was essentially useless, and they all felt that she needed to go.

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"Be diligent to come to me quickly; for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus."

II Timothy 4:9-12

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On Paul's first missionary journey, he and Barnabas took a young man named Mark with them. Somewhere along the way Mark abandoned them and returned home. When the mission was complete, Paul and Barnabas also returned home. When time came to leave again, Barnabas wanted to take Mark with them, but Paul said no. Their disagreement was so intense that Paul and Barnabas parted company. Barnabas took Mark and went his way, while Paul took Silas and they went their way. You can read about this in Acts 15:36-41.

When we get to our passage today, we read that many people who had traveled with Paul had gone on to other ministries. However, Paul asks Timothy to come to him and to bring someone else. In verse 11 we read, "Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry". Yes, this is the same Mark! Something changed drastically between Acts 15 and II Timothy 4.

I believe somewhere along the way, while working with Barnabas, Mark got serious about his faith. He became a true disciple of Jesus and dedicated his life to serving. Also, in I Peter 5:13 it appears that this same Mark worked with Peter. There were a lot of people that kept investing in Mark after he abandoned the mission work. It led to this man's life being changed!

Consider what Peter said, "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins" (I Peter 4:8). When someone leaves us hanging, I mean REALLY hanging and in a tough spot, it is hard to trust them again. However, as Christians we are supposed to do just that. We are to do everything in our power to bring that person into a closer relationship with God. People remember Mark for the Gospel he wrote, not his cowardice. Yes, there was some bad blood between Mark and Paul, but that was forgiven. Paul actually mentioned Mark several times in the Epistles of Galatians, Colossians, and Philemon. In other words, this was not simply Paul making things right on his deathbed. This forgiveness had taken place long before because both men were following the Lord.

So, you may be wondering what happened to the young girl from my introduction. Well, just like Mark, someone different took her under their wing. They taught her how to do her job and everyone began to see improvements. I moved home at the end of 2005, but in May of 2006, I went back for a friend's graduation. I stopped by that Chick-fil-A to see some friends, and there she was. Her uniform had changed though. She was now an assistant manager! No one remembered the girl that people wanted to fire. Now she was a valuable employee!

Father, so many times we are tempted to just write people off. Help us to remember that You didn't just write us off. You are patient "toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (II Peter 3:9). Teach us to be patient with others and to give them second chances, like You give us.