Time Heals

August 3

(Acts 15:37-39a NIV) “Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, {38} but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. {39} They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.”

(Philemon 1:23-24 NIV) "Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. {24} And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers."

(2 Timothy 4:11 NIV) "Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry."

The passage of time can soften anger and heal wounds. Things that once seemed so important can seem trivial years later. This happened with Mark and Paul. Mark, who had caused a split between Paul and Barnabas, became someone Paul wanted by his side -- a trusted ally in the work of the gospel. In Paul’s letter to Philemon, Mark is listed as one of Paul’s “fellow workers”. And later, when Paul wrote to his young disciple Timothy, he mentioned Mark as being “helpful” to his ministry. We don’t know what happened, but somehow Paul and Mark had reconciled. Perhaps Paul realized that the grace he preached so vehemently needed to be applied to Mark. Maybe Mark matured, grew stronger, and proved himself to be reliable. The bottom line is that people can change. We can change. Things do not stay the same forever here on Earth. Thank God for that! Time heals. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Double Edged Ministry

August 2

(Acts 15:39b-41 NIV) “Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, {40} but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. {41} He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches."

(Isaiah 61:7 NIV) "Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs."

(Hebrews 4:12 NIV) "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

God can redeem anything for His glory -- even sharp disagreements that would appear to weaken the church. When Barnabas and Paul went their separate ways, Barnabas took Mark and went to Cyprus where the work of the Lord expanded, and Paul picked up a young disciple named Silas and went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the church and winning many to Jesus. What looked like a victory for Satan instead became double trouble. One team had become two teams. Gospel proclamation had doubled overnight. Paul and Barnabas had become a two-edged sword. The gospel was now on the offensive on two fronts. It may not have been in God’s original plan for Paul and Barnabas to split up, but God used it to His advantage. God knows how to win with any set of circumstances. God can redeem anything for His glory, even our human failings. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

A Book of Truth

August 1

(Acts 15:37-40 NIV) "Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, {38} but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. {39} They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, {40} but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord."

(Colossians 4:10 NIV) "My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.)"

The argument between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark was so serious that they parted company. How did two godly apostles reach this point? We find a clue in Paul’s letter to the Colossians -- John Mark was a cousin to Barnabas. Mark and Barnabas were family, and we all know the old adage about blood being thicker than water. Paul may have been stubborn, but Barnabas was working with a strong bias, and because of that they ended up at a fork in the road. This dynamic duo had what we call today an internal dispute, and it split the team apart. This was certainly not one of the church’s finest moments, but it is a good reason to trust the Bible. Scripture shows God’s people for who they are, warts and all. It doesn’t try to do a PR job for the church. God just lays it out there -- the good, the bad, and the ugly. We can trust the word of God to tell us the truth. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

The First Church Split

July 31

(Acts 15:37-41 NIV) “Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, {38} but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. {39} They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, {40} but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. {41} He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”

(Genesis 13:5-12 NIV) "Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. {6} But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. {7} And quarreling arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. {8} So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. {9} Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left." {10} Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) {11} So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: {12} Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom."

When two people “part company” it is not always pretty. It can be even uglier when it happens in the church. But it happens, and it happens to the best… even Paul and Barnabas. They had what Luke describes as a “sharp disagreement”. It wasn’t about a deep theological issue -- it was a personnel issue. Barnabas, the church board chair, wanted Mark on the staff, and Paul, the preacher, didn’t. It was a typical power struggle. Harsh words were spoken, they parted ways, and we witness the first church split recorded in Scripture. Even though this was not likely God’s plan, the Spirit of God went with both of them, and the evangelism/discipleship capability of the church was effectively doubled as they opened two separate mission fields. We don’t have to be perfect for God to use us. We should strive to be as good as we can be, but God will be glorified in spite of our personal successes and failures. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day