We’ve been doing the first step in a “3D” biographical study of the life of Mark by collecting information about him. Now we need to correlate this information into an outline.
When I did this I gave the outline a title: A Diamond in the Rough. The three points I came up with were,
1. A deserter.
2. A disciple.
3. A dynamic leader.
Then I amplified each point as follows. Under a deserter, I listed the fact that as a young man he fled the scene when Jesus was arrested, and later he deserted Paul and Barnabas on their 1st missionary journey.
Under a disciple, I listed that he was exposed to believers in his home, especially leaders who visited. He spent time with Paul and Barnabas on their 1st missionary journey. Then he went to Cyprus with his cousin Barnabas for personal discipleship. There is an indication Peter also discipled him.
Under a dynamic leader I listed the fact that he worked with Peter, with Paul, on special assignments, and most importantly in writing the Gospel of Mark. I’ve often thought about the fact that the Gospel of Mark is usually the first book of the Bible that translators work on when starting a new language translation. If that is correct then the Gospel of Mark must be the best selling part of the best-selling book, the Bible, in the history of publishing.
Consider the lives Mark has touched down through the centuries!
As a conclusion I would say that God is the God of a second chance. When God begins a work in someone’s life, he will continue His work in their lives, even when they come up short at times (Philippians 1:6; 2nd Timothy 2:13).
