The Phil Files

Summer Road Trip with Jesus through the Gospel of Mark

We’re taking a summer road trip through the Gospel of Mark this summer. It’s full of funny videos and challenging insights from John Mark, a man who grew up in the center of the action in Jerusalem, went with Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey, had his share of embarrassments and failures, but finally ended up as one of the most influential people in the history of Jesus’ followers!

Great defensive lineman great for Minnesota Vikings, Jim Marshall, is known more for his running the wrong way than his great play over the years as part of the great Viking defensive line sometimes called the Purple People Eaters! The parody video exists because the actual one is licensed by the NFL.

Our travel guide for our summer road trip had a worse reputation for running the wrong way than Jim Marshall did … a reputation that he had to overcome:
Mark 14:50-51 – ran away naked in the night
Acts 13:13 – he deserted Paul and Barnabas in Pamphylia
Acts 15:36-41 – caused such a huge disagreement that Paul & Barnabas had a very contentious disagreement and split up their missionary team

At this point, Mark is a young of man of great potential, which all seems lost!
• Acts 12:25-13:5 – He was included in the group that came from Jerusalem to Antioch with Barnabas and Paul. He was also chosen to accompany them on what we call the first missionary journey.
• His mother, Mary, had furnished the nice, large house with servants for the early church to meet in and which became the hub of the apostle’s ministry in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12) – some suggest this also could have been the place where Jesus had the Last Supper (Mark 14:12-26).

But, Barnabas was a man of encouragement (Acts 4:32-37) and a mentor of ministers and missionaries. So when the big blow up happened with Paul, Barnabas took Mark, his cousin (Colossians 4:10), with him on a missionary journey to Cyprus, while Paul and Silas headed off to Syria (Acts 15:39).

Just as Barnabas had saved Paul from the scrap heap of rejection (Acts 9:26-31; Acts 11:19-26), he also saved John Mark and made him a useful servant to the church, church leaders, and to the Lord. After Barnabas work with Mark, Mark was associated with the apostle Peter – who calls Mark his “son” in the faith. Mark was with Peter in Rome when he wrote the book of 1 Peter (5:13). He also appears about this time coming from Rome to Colossae on a mission from Paul, and Paul’s language suggests that they knew of Mark’s failures. Paul assures them that Mark has overcome them and they are to welcome him (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24).

So it is not surprising that several years later, at the end of Paul’s life when he is headed for execution (2 Timothy 4:6-8), Paul begs Timothy to bring Mark with him before winter sets in and travel is impossible. Why was this so urgent? Two reasons: 1) Mark was useful to Paul, and 2) Paul wants his coat, scrolls, and parchments – a coat to keep him warm and reading/writing materials to possibly discuss the Jesus story with Mark (2 Timothy 4:11-13).

But we are taking a summer road trip with Mark, so we need to ask a very basic cornbread kind of question: What makes Mark a good tour guide for us on our summer road trip through the life of Jesus?

Well, he traveled widely all over the Roman empire sharing the story of Jesus.

In addition, he had access to a lot of first hand knowledge of Jesus’ life, especially in and around Jerusalem. He also knew well three great leaders and missionaries in the early church, Barnabas, Paul, and Peter. So while we know very little about Mark’s formal education, he was sure in the very center of leadership of the early church and missionary effort!

But don’t you think there’s something even more powerful about his failures and then his reclamation that makes him a great tour guide for the life of Jesus? Doesn’t that make his summary of Jesus’ message all the more powerful?
After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee and told the good news that comes from God. He said, “The time has come! God’s kingdom will soon be here. Turn back to God and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14-15 NLT)

Finally, and a point I have never heard emphasized, but one I deeply appreciate, Mark knew the failures of great leaders in Jesus’ greatest leaders, and he didn’t quit: he didn’t give up on himself, he didn’t become bitter toward those leaders, and he didn’t bad mouth the church or her leaders. As a flawed human, he knew the grace all of us need, to turn life around and start fresh! None of us fully lives up to the call of the cross, but we’re all called to follow Jesus on that road, and in the process, who knows what we might see? (Mark 8:27-9:1)

Road trips are fun, but often filled with surprises – hardships, failures, and unexpected joys. Our tour guide has been met these on the road before, and he has shown that Jesus could get him through. So shouldn’t we anticipate that Mark will help us do the same?

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During lunch today, I was talking with my daughter, Megan. She has a very interesting way of putting things in perspective sometimes. We were talking about how to get churches to wake up and not sleep walk through the motions of Christian faith. She said something like this: “Dad, if Jesus can turn water to wine, then he can surely make water boil!”

That pretty much sums it up, I think, with one exception. I believe we have to want the water to boil … pray for the water to boil … and expect the water to boil. Remember what Jesus said to the church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-16)?

Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen — the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation: “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth!”

I believe Jesus longs to make the water boil, but often is waiting for us to ask for Him to light the fire — I mean really ask by making ourselves available to do what he asks. There is a high cost to asking. We can’t keep rewarding mediocrity and affirming cautious indifference. Our cardinal values can’t be keeping house and maintaining the status quo. We can’t allow the person who always wants to throw a cold wet towel into the boiling pot of Kingdom passion to keep doing it without challenge. “Follow me!” can’t mean less risk for us today than it did for the original disciples who answered that call.

Maybe the biggest challenge of all, is for us — for me — to read the parable of the talents again and again till we truly get it. It’s not just about using our talents, but it’s about how we picture God. He wants us to take risks and not fear. He wants us to realize that he despises us playing it safe. He wants us to take what he has given us and use it and (Click to read Matthew 25:14-30 in a popup window) put it into play. Laying low and being safe out of fear — burying it so we won’t lose it — provokes the same reaction as tepid water!

What do you believe is the reason we are more passionate about the Lord getting us “boiling”?

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My article in Heartlight.org today shares an old experience about our young daughter’s experience with what we ultimately believe may have been an angel.

Do you have an angel story you would be willing to share?

What Bible verse about angels means the most to you?

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When is a loss a win? When you are a part of the Central Washington University softball team! In a remarkable act of sportsmanship — or should we say sportswomanship — you help your opponent score a run against you in the conference championship series because it is the right thing to do.

Sara Tucholsky had never hit a homer over the fence in her high school or college career. At 5-foot-2, that is understandable. So when she hit one out with two on base, they scored easily. But in her excitement, Sara missed first base, and as she returned to touch it, her cleat hung and she injured her knee too badly to walk. So to prevent any possible rules violation for player assistance by her own, the career home run leader for the conference and a member of the opposing team, Mallory Holtman, asked the umpires if members of the opposing team could carry Sara and let her touch all the bases and get her home run. And that’s what happened.

In an era where parents grip and complain about coaches, umpires, improper calls, and even get into verbal and physical battles over games at a much less significant level, this example of kindness and respect should humble us all.

My question for each of us to ask is this: In the heat of a battle for the conference championship, would I have helped my opponent win the game like Mallory helped Sara’s team win?

For more information see: Girls, Sports, and Sportsmanship from the Saturday, May 10, issue of the New York Times.

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I don’t know about you, but my world is a little wild, crazy, and filled with ragged edges. It’s a Ketchup Friday — not the condiment, I’m just trying to catch up on everything — and we are trying to make sure Mothers’ Day comes off in a way that honors our mothers, plus I want Donna (my wife) properly honored, too!

I have often wondered if I was going to be able to hold it together during times of stress. For me, I began to unravel about Tuesday. By Thursday, my body was sending pretty strong signals I had ignored the basics of rest and exercise and had violated the max caffeine limit. I had spent too much time being busy and not enough time being still, yielded, and in touch with Jesus.

As so often happens when I have a “come to Jesus” meeting with Jesus, He shows me my mis-deeds and mis-judgments, affirms His love for me, and sends me a clear a message. That’s when a special email from a friend reminded me of a truth I have known for years and an illustration of this truth that heard months previous: Jesus is what holds it all together. While Colossians a great letter to read to get a biblical sense of what this means, the YouTube video you find here helps illustrate it magnificently! (The video really is worth the time!)

So … move beyond the physical laminin to the spiritual one … and remind me to do it, too. Otherwise, we’re all going to come unglued!

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“I’m not a gooseball!” I died laughing.

That’s what one of the sextuplets said as his dad, John, joked with him about having his shoes on the wrong feet. But to understand, I need to tell you something.

But before my confession, I need re-assert my masculine side. So … I love sports, played quite a few, and even went to college on an athletics scholarship — well, kinda an athletics scholarship, it was golf. On a recent trip to DFW, I took my daughter with me to what she calls, “A Man Mall” — Bass Proshop and other manly destinations which she describes more delightfully in her blog. In addition, I am a bow hunter — please, before animals lovers get mad, let me remind you of two things: 1) I eat what I shoot, and 2) they call it hunting and not killing because mostly you sit and admire the scenery. So even though I’m over the hill and balding, I am still a full blooded, testosterone carrying, male. Whew, my identity was a bit confused for a minute, glad I got that out of my system.

So here’s my confession … (dramatic pause) … one of very favorite TV shows ever is called, Jon & Kate + 8. While the TV plays down their faith, it runs through every program and you can see the Scripture memory verses in the background. They have twins and sextuplets, yet manage it remarkably. While neither of the parents are perfect, I think I would have had many more moments I wouldn’t want shown on TV as a dad and husband than Jon and Kate have, and we only have two children. How they do it is remarkable — and in part thanks to a wonderful family and some cool friends that help them.

Part of my attraction is that as the preacher guy for a pretty big church and also president of Heartlight.org my life is filled with stress and chaos. So I guess I enjoy watching someone else try manage absolute chaos — something I would compare to juggling warm Jello®. Yet I have to admit that a big part of my interest in the show is just plain admiration. John and Kate know their 8 children, call them by name, know their children’s toys and clothes and comfort toys, do the same kinds of things with their children most families do, and still manage to joke with each other about it. Yes, they do have bad moments, but all in all, they are incredible. And they do it all in front of a camera.

In the end, however, I am reminded every week that each child — Jon and Kate’s, yours, mine, and everybody else’s — is a distinct creation of God. Filled with personality, needs, wants, talents, interests, purpose and unique flashes of God’s image (Psalms 139:13-16 NLT).

Our family prays for this family and these parents and these children that their lives don’t lose touch with our Abba Father, the Creator and Sustainer of us all. John and Kate, the Warehouse gang loves you guys and you have never met us. Don’t let the camera mess it all up for you and don’t lose sight of how precious each of you are to each other and your kids! So until next Monday night, God bless. And stay off those “hair panes”!

Oh yeah, and did I mention I went to a NASCAR race earlier this year? (Just didn’t want that manliness to get lost in the sentimentality!)

P.S. — Be sure and look at their videos!

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