From Ruin to Restoration - Part 8 - John Mark

John Mark grew up with a righteous foundation. His mother Mary opened her home to the early church for prayer meetings, the Apostle Peter called him his son, and his kinsman Barnabas was one of the first missionaries God separated for the work. Yet when he joined Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, he departed from them at Pamphylia and went home to Jerusalem. Jesus said that no man who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God, and John Mark's desertion was so serious that Paul and Barnabas later split over whether to take him again. Forgiveness can be received at once, but God requires that stewards be found faithful, and restored opportunities are not always instant. Thankfully, the story does not end there. John Mark repented, proved himself over the following years, comforted Paul in prison, served alongside Timothy, reconnected with Peter, and was used of God to write the Gospel of Mark.