Tuesday, March 2, 2021

MARY, MOTHER OF JOHN MARK

We see yet again how women have a significant role in sharing the Gospel message.  The importance of hospitality is presented here, as  it was in the story of Martha of Bethany.  I hope you are gathering and pondering the value of women when it comes to sharing the love of Christ.

Mary, the mother of Mark who wrote the second gospel, is spoken of once in the book of Acts  (read her story here), yet this brief description of her is suggestive of her life and labors and you’ll see I make a few speculations. 

She is possibly the aunt or sister of Barnabas, the one-time companion of Paul  (Colossians 4:10).  This may account for Barnabas' choice of Mark as his companion—a selection over which Paul and Barnabas parted. Being related to Mary would account for the leadership among the people gathering in her large home. I read that Sir William Ramsay holds that the record of Mary in the book Acts was by Mark, which would account for the details of his mother’s large house becoming a well-known center of Christian life and worship. There is a legend to the effect that this same house was the scene of a still more sacred gathering when, in its upper room, Jesus observed the Lord’s Supper on the night of His betrayal.

And if that is indeed the case it would explain an obscure reference that we find only in Mark's Gospel. It is discovered in Mark’s account of the arrest of Jesus Mark 14:51-52.  Other translations tell us that he was wearing a linen sheet. So here is the speculation, that when Jesus and his apostles left the home they were meeting in, that young John Mark wrapped himself in a sheet and followed them, only to almost be caught by the guards who arrested Jesus, escaping with little more than his life.

If that was the case it would explain how we get the account of Jesus’ prayer and struggle in the garden, because we are told that the apostles were all asleep. So the speculation is that John Mark, probably just a young teen, followed the One who his mother worshipped and was hiding in the garden was able to witness and hear Jesus’ struggle.

Peter found his way to Mary’s home after his miraculous escape, for he knew that a group of believers had gathered there to pray for his release. Peter had a peculiar affection for this godly home. He called Mark, “his son” (1 Peter 5:13) -- a spiritual son, having led him to surrender his life to the Savior. 

The way in which the disciples met in Mary’s home is an example of her steadfastness and the bond of intimacy that existed between them. We see that Rhoda was one of the maids which  indicates that the household was considerably large, implying that Mary was a widow with financial means to maintain such a spacious home. As Barnabas her relative gave up his land for Christ, Mary gave up her Jerusalem home to be used as an infant church.

Mary was a woman of noble qualities and was loyal to her Christian ideals. At that time Christians were persecuted, yet she faced the consequences of sharing her home as a center of spiritual power and influence, and was self-sacrificing in time, effort and money to serve the Lord. 

As for Mark the evangelist, Mary’s son, he was deeply attached to his mother which was probably one reason why he returned to Jerusalem from Perga (Acts 13:13). He wanted to be near to the one who had meant so much in his life.  His faith had been formed and shaped by the faith of his mother.  Let us all be mothers, like Mary who have the character to be peculiar and confident in who Jesus is to shape the lives of our children and grand-children.

Blessings, 

Lisa