The second chance
August 3, 2009 (Monday)
When Paul and Barnabas were getting ready for their second missionary trip, Barnabas let Paul know he wanted John Mark to accompany them, but Paul refused because the young man had left them during the first trip and had gone back home (Acts 15). There is comfort and hope for all of us in John Mark; he is not an untouchable hero of our faith — he is a real human being who made mistakes, but learned from them. Mark went on to become a great servant of God, and Paul himself recognized Mark as a wonderful coworker later in life.
We all make mistakes. Mark’s mistake was deserting his team. In what ways have you made mistakes in your life? How have I failed? Honesty demands that we admit we don’t have a 100% record of success in our lives. We are human, and sometimes weak. We may have taken on a task for which we were not quite ready, as Mark did. He was, after all, very very young, possibly only 16 years old when he left the missionaries and went back home. Perhaps it was asking too much of such a young person to face the hardships of First Century missionary service. The reasons for our own specific problem in measuring up to expectations may be something else entirely. Whatever the reason, we all make mistakes.
We would like to have a second chance if we fail. Mark found that in Barnabas, who split from Paul and took Mark on a separate missionary journey. We want to make up for our failures by trying again. Having a second chance may make the difference in our life. It will help our reputation and give us self-respect to accomplish our mission. It will give us the opportunity to change for the better. Mark turned out to be a good man. He wrote the Gospel of Mark in our Bible. He was with Peter and Paul in Rome, serving the Lord later in life. When Paul was in prison for the last time before his execution as a Christian, he asked for Mark and said kind words about him. The second chance given to him by Barnabas paid off in rich dividends in a life of devoted service.
We need to give others a second chance. It is a tragedy for anyone to drop out of Christian service. The plain truth is that people stop going to church for a variety of reasons, but only genuine Christian concern and love for them will bring them back. They need a second chance, and your love and acceptance may offer that to them. The second chance that God wants you to give someone may be about a matter entirely different; it could be because of a mistake of a thousand possible kinds. Whatever it is, let them know you care and will be willing to help. That’s what Jesus taught us to do, by word and deed.
Most of us are given new opportunities to make things right, and sometimes it falls to us to make such opportunities available to others, many times those of our own household.
A second chance. Isn’t that what God gave us when he saved us?