Mark's Story (13 page)

O
ver the next few days Peter did not seem to be of a mind to reminisce. When not ministering in the region, he bounced ideas off Mark, seeming to experiment with various approaches to Paul and the others about the Gentile question.

“Perhaps it would be best if we maintained some distance between ourselves and Gentile believers.”

“What kind of distance? And why? You yourself have championed the idea that we are as one in Christ.”

“Oh, we are. No question about that. But I hate to offend strong Jewish believers by dining with Gentile brothers.”

“But they are wrong to be offended.”

Peter pressed his lips together. “I know,” he said at last, “but am I not wrong to offend them?”

“Far be it from me to counsel you, master.”

“Just answer the question, Mark. How do I justify offending brothers?”

“Will you not offend the Gentiles if you do not break bread with them? And how would you justify that? By saying you’re keeping the peace with brothers who are in the wrong?”

Peter shook his head. “You see what Paul deals with every day?”

“Something tells me he is not conflicted over this.”

“No doubt he knows his own mind, and so will everyone else in due time.”

Within a few days Peter seemed less distracted, allowing that he had written both Paul and James—the brother of Jesus—who, along with John, was leading the church in Jerusalem. “I believe they will agree that we need a meeting of the minds on this. For it has to do with more than just following Jewish law. It concerns even circumcision. There are those among us who believe that Gentiles who become believers must be circumcised. Surely this is taking things too far.”

Peter appeared more energized in his work while waiting for some response, and Mark was also able to ply from him more stories of Jesus. “I’ve waited patiently for the story you said was far too glorious to tell quickly.”

“Indeed you have. Well, as you know, Jesus had been teaching in and around the area of the Sea of Galilee, and the multitudes just kept coming, running to Him from all the cities. I knew He had to be getting tired, but when He saw such vast crowds it was obvious He was moved with compassion for them. He told me, ‘They are like sheep not having a shepherd.’

“All day long he taught them many things. When the day was far spent, we came to Him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. Send the people away so they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.’”

Peter chuckled at the memory. “Jesus said, ‘
You
give them something to eat.’

“I asked him if he really expected us to spend more than half a year’s wages on bread for the crowd. He said, ‘How many loaves do you have? Go and see.’

“Do you know, among the massive throng, all we came up with were five loaves of bread and two fish. But Jesus commanded everyone to sit on the grass in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. He took those loaves and fish, looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to us to set before the people.”

Peter trembled, beaming at the memory. “He divided those two fish among them all, and not only did they all eat until they were full, but we also gathered up twelve baskets full of fragments.”

Mark furrowed his brow. “How many people are we talking about?”

“Son, the men alone counted about five thousand.”

“Amazing. And then did He finally get some rest?”

“Yes. He bade farewell to the crowd and sent them on their way, then instructed us to sail to the other side to Bethsaida, telling us He would be along later. I asked Him how He would get there, and He told me not to fret, that He wished to depart to the mountain to pray. Naturally I assumed He would hire another boat later.

“Now, Mark, this was not a long voyage, as you know, but all night the wind was against us and we began to despair. At about the fourth watch of the night, all of us were straining at rowing when the image of a man appeared to be walking right past us! We screamed in terror, assuming it a ghost. It stopped and turned toward us and said, ‘Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.’ It was Jesus! And when He climbed into the boat, the wind ceased. We were greatly amazed beyond measure and marveled. Feeding five thousand with one meager meal was nothing compared with this.

“We finally crossed over and anchored in Gennesaret, and when we disembarked in the morning, immediately people recognized Jesus. They ran through that whole region and returned carrying on beds those who were sick. Wherever He went, into villages, cities, or the country, people laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. Now hear me, Mark: every person who touched Him was made well.”

“No doubt Jesus was attracting the attention of the religious leaders again.”

“Of course. The Pharisees and some scribes came to Him from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of us eating bread with unwashed hands, they found fault.”

“You hadn’t washed in the special way of the elders?”

“Correct, and as you know, the Pharisees and the rest of the Jews do not eat unless they do so. When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.”

“Not to mention all the other rituals, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.”

“Precisely. So the Pharisees and scribes said, ‘Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?’

“Jesus said, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
“This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
’”

“He said that to
them?”
Mark said. “They must have been furious!”

“Oh, He said more than that. He told them they had laid aside the commandment of God in order to hold the tradition of men. ‘All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said,
“Honor your father and your mother”;
and,
“He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.”
But you say, “If a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban’” (that is a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.’

“Then He called the multitude to Himself and said, ‘Hear Me, everyone, and understand: There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.’ And He concluded again with His charge: ‘If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!’

“We disciples were puzzled too, and when Jesus finally slipped into a house away from the crowd, we questioned Him. He said, ‘Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods? What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.’”

“What must it have been like to spend your days under the counsel of One so wise?”

“Mark, we had not an inkling of our privilege until He was gone from us. From there we went to the region of Tyre and Sidon and followed Him into a house where He hoped to have some privacy. But He could not be hidden. A Greek woman, a Syro-Phoenician by birth whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard about Him and came and fell at His feet. She pleaded with Him to come and cast the demon out of her daughter. Jesus said, ‘Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.’”

“What did He mean by that?”

“We had no idea, but she seemed to understand. She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.’

“Her persistence seemed to convince him of her faith. He said, ‘For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.’

“From there we traveled through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. There some brought to Him one who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. Jesus took him aside from the multitude and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed and said, ‘Be opened.’

“Immediately the man’s ears were opened, and his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.

“Jesus commanded the people that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. People were astonished beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.’”

“And that feeding of the five thousand men and their families was not the only time Jesus did that, was it?”

“Oh, no. Another time, soon after this, Jesus called us disciples to Him and said, ‘I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.’

“Of course we asked Him where we would find bread in the wilderness when we had only seven loaves and a few small fish. And this time there were about four thousand people. Again He commanded the multitude to sit, and He took what we had and gave thanks, broke the food into pieces, and gave it to us to distribute to them. They ate and were filled, and we took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.

“After He sent the people on their way, we immediately sailed to the region of Dalmanutha. Again the Pharisees came to dispute with Him, seeking a sign from heaven, testing Him. He sighed deeply in His spirit and said, ‘Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.’

“We climbed again into the boat and left for the other side, but we had forgotten to bring bread. All we had on board was one loaf. Jesus said, ‘Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.’

“Well, we whispered among ourselves that He must have said this because we had forgotten the bread. But He approached from the other side of the boat and said, ‘Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?’

“We said, ‘Twelve.’

“‘Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?’

“And we said, ‘Seven.’

“‘Then how is it you do not understand?’”

“I still don’t understand, Peter. What was He saying?”

“I believe He was reminding us that He could supernaturally provide anything we needed and warning us not to let religiosity invade our faith. That was when we finally understood that He was not speaking of the leaven of bread, but of the false doctrines and practices of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. That is one of the reasons I feel so strongly that we must not yoke Gentile believers with our old laws.”

“Tell me of another miracle.”

“Very well. When we came to Bethsaida, some brought a blind man to Him and begged Him to touch him. He took the man by the hand and led him out of town. Jesus spat on his eyes and put His hands on him, then asked if he saw anything.

“The man looked up and said, ‘I see men like trees, walking.’ I believe he was saying that he could see, but not distinctly. So Jesus put His hands on the man’s eyes again, and he was restored and saw everyone clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, ‘Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.’

“How I wish I could have been there, Peter.”

“Like me, you would never forget it.”

I
t seemed to Mark to take forever for the apostles and elders to agree to a large meeting regarding the Jewish-Gentile question. He and Peter had been traveling and ministering together for years, and it took more than fifteen years after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for a council of all parties to be convened in Jerusalem.

According to Peter, certain disciples of James—the brother of Jesus and the ruling elder of the church in Jerusalem—had gone to the church at Antioch and taught the brethren that unless they were circumcised according to the custom of Moses, they could not be saved. Mark naturally found Peter extremely vexed over this.

“I know better, because God has shown me. He called us to preach first to Israel, but when His own chosen people rejected Him, He sent us into all the world to preach the gospel to everyone.”

“But you, like me, Peter, can at least understand the dilemma of the Judaizers.”

“Of course I can! Like you, like all the disciples, I was raised a Jew. The laws of Moses have dominated my life. I was circumcised, and I followed all the rules and traditions. That’s why it was such a revelation to me when the Spirit led me into the home of an actual Gentile, Cornelius, and further gave me utterance to lead him to faith in Christ. How dare these men make an abomination of the free gift of salvation, offered to all who believe?”

Word came that Paul and Barnabas had vigorously disputed the Jerusalem representatives, and based on Peter’s letter and the insistence of James’s disciples, it was determined that the two leaders in Antioch and certain others of them should go to Jerusalem and meet with the council of apostles and elders to settle the matter.

Mark had longed to return home and see his now frail mother. Old and infirm as she was, still she supervised the servants and hosted the Jerusalem Council in her upper room. Mark did not consider himself in any respect equal to the apostles and elders, and thus felt privileged just to be there. Paul and Mark’s cousin greeted him, Barnabas perhaps a bit more warmly than Paul. But at one point Mark noticed that Peter and Paul quickly quieted as he passed by, and later Peter admitted he had been trying to disabuse Paul of his negative opinion of Mark.

The rare occasion of the council spurred talk on many subjects and doctrines, but of course the primary one concerned the obligation of Gentile believers in Christ. Barnabas and Paul were called upon to bring a report, and after Barnabas gave a general and encouraging update on the church at Antioch, Paul took the floor.

“We were generously sent here by the body of believers,” he said, “and as we passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, we told of the widespread conversion of the Gentiles. This caused a great outpouring of joy from all the brethren. We most appreciate being received by the church here, especially by you apostles and the elders, and I ask that you bear with me as I tell you of many new Gentile converts.”

Paul held forth for several minutes, telling thrilling stories of conversions—including that of Titus, who was one who had accompanied him and Barnabas. But soon Paul was interrupted by some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed in Jesus. They rose up, saying, “Paul, it is necessary for you and Barnabas to circumcise these new believers and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

Paul responded angrily and Barnabas tried to be more conciliatory. But the more the two sides argued, the louder the discussion became. Finally Peter stood, and Mark was proud to see that he still enjoyed deep respect and deference from all. They sat and quieted themselves.

“Men and brethren,” he said, “you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

“Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they. Now please, remain silent and listen to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God has worked through them among the Gentiles.”

Barnabas and Paul related more stories, and when they had finished, James said, “Men and brethren, listen to me: Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
‘After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up; So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does all these things.’

“Known to God from eternity are all His works. Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.

“For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

The council then decided to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas to inform Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia of what they had decided: that they need not be circumcised or subject to the whole law of Moses, but “since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law’—to whom we gave no such commandment—it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

Word soon came to Mark and to Peter that when Paul and Barnabas and the others had gathered the multitude together at Antioch and read the letter, all rejoiced over its encouragement. In a letter to Mark, Barnabas reported that Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets, also exhorted and strengthened the brethren. And after they had stayed there for a time, they were sent back with greetings from the brethren to the apostles. “Paul and I also remained here,” Barnabas wrote, “teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. Recently Paul suggested to me, ‘Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.’

“Mark, I told Paul that you should be invited to join us, but he insisted that we should not take with us one who had departed from us in Pamphylia and had not gone on with us to the work. I know that Peter spoke highly of you to Paul in Jerusalem, and so I persisted, but Paul was adamant. Sad to say, the contention became so sharp that we have parted from each other. I need you to sail with me to Cyprus, as Paul has chosen Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God to go through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. Would you come?”

Peter gave his blessing for Mark to join his cousin, then traveled with Mark as far as Antioch, where Peter would minister for a time in the absence of Paul and Barnabas and Silas. On that journey to Antioch, Mark beseeched Peter to tell more of his time with Jesus.

“We did have a most telling discussion one day. As we followed Him to the towns of Caesarea Philippi, on the road He said, ‘Who do men say that I am?’

“We told Him, ‘John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.’

“He said, ‘But who do you say that I am?’”

“He asked that straight out?”

“He did, and I quickly said, ‘You are the Christ.’ He looked at me knowingly, and I was certain I had spoken for us all. He strictly warned us that we should tell no one about Him.”

“Why?”

“The people would have forced Him to become their king and to throw off the shackles of Rome. But that was not what He was about. He began to teach us that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this openly to the point where I took Him aside and rebuked Him. But He turned around and looked at the other disciples, rebuking me and saying, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.’

“You can only imagine my humiliation. My motive had been pure. I loved Him. But I could not fathom His leaving us, especially by dying. But the next time He spoke to the multitudes, He said, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.’

“Did you understand all of this?”

“Not all. But I gathered that He was comparing this worldly life to the eternality of the soul. He confided to the twelve of us that ‘there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.’ Mark, I was among those He was referring to, despite that He had just compared me to Satan. James and John were also with Him to see the kingdom of God present with power.”

“What did he mean? You will not die until He returns again?”

“Oh, no, I did not take it that way at all, for He made clear that no man knows the day or the hour of His coming. If He made clear it was to happen in my lifetime, that would contradict His assertion that not even He knows when He’s coming, but only the Father.”

“Then what was he saying, Peter?”

“I believe when He referred to the kingdom of God sent with power he meant the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the time of Pentecost. Six days later Jesus took the three of us and led us up on a high mountain, where He was transfigured before us. His clothes shone exceedingly white like snow, such as no launderer on earth could whiten them. And suddenly there stood Elijah with Moses, and they talked with Jesus.”

“You must have been terrified! What was happening to Him?”

“Oh, I was! We all were. Greatly afraid and not knowing what else to say, I said, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’

“A cloud came and overshadowed us, and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!’ Suddenly, when we looked around, we saw no one anymore but Jesus.”

“So these were spirits? Ghosts?”

“I believe they were the saints themselves, Mark.”

“And you have no doubt you heard the voice of God from a cloud?”

“That is something one does neither mistake nor forget. As we came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded that we should tell no one what we had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead. We kept this word ourselves, but we wondered what He meant about rising from the dead.

“We asked Him, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?’

“He said, ‘Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.’”

“I’m terribly confused. Were you?”

“For a time, yes. But we concluded that He was speaking of John the Baptizer having come in the spirit and power of Elijah. And he was put to death, just as the prophets foretold.

“When we rejoined the other disciples, Jesus saw a great multitude around them and scribes disputing with them. Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and ran to Him, greeting Him.

“He asked the scribes, ‘What are you discussing with them?’

“One from the crowd said, ‘Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.’

“Jesus looked terribly disappointed in the other nine disciples, not to mention the father of the mute boy and the scribes who were there only to test Him. He said, ‘O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.’

“As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it convulsed the boy and he fell, foaming at the mouth.

“Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’

“‘From childhood,’ he said. ‘And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’

“Jesus said, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’

“Immediately the father cried out with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’”

“An honest, human man,” Mark said.

“Oh, yes. And when Jesus saw more people come running, He said, ‘Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!’

“Then the spirit cried out, convulsed the boy greatly, and came out of him. The boy lay there so still that many said, ‘He is dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him, and he arose.”

“Why could not the other disciples cast out the demon?” Mark said.

“That’s what they asked Jesus privately. He said, ‘This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.’