Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem … [When Paul wanted to make a return journey to the churches he and Barnabas had planted] Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them.  But Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued in the work.  They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company … (Acts 13:13; 15:36-39).

Acts 15 had been looking so good!  The church had found its way through the very difficult question of how Jews and Gentiles were to relate in the one new community gathered around Jesus the Messiah.  The unity of the church could have fractured, but didn’t: both Jews and Gentiles are welcomed into the Messiah movement based on faith in Jesus alone.  Gentiles do not have to adopt Jewish identity markers (and Jews are free to keep them!)

So Paul is excited about revisiting the churches he and Barnabas had recently planted, and was excited at the prospect of again co-laboring with his friend and colleague.  But Barnabas wants to bring along John Mark.

In Acts 13, Luke merely reports that John Mark “left” the team.  When we hear Paul’s voice in Acts 15, John Mark “deserted” the team.  Left them leaves things open to several kinds of interpretation; deserted does not. 

And Barnabas and Paul can’t agree … so they parted company and went their separate ways.  And Barnabas is not mentioned again in Acts.  Disunity has prevailed …?

It’s easy to “slam the door” on someone we feel has deserted or betrayed or wronged us.  We toss them out of our lives, and make sure that there’s never a way back in: “Don’t ever darken my door again – SLAM!”

Are you glad that Jesus doesn’t treat you like that?

Barnabas and John Mark disappear from the rest of Acts, but not from the rest of the New Testament.  Paul praises Barnabas in 1 Corinthians 9:6. John Mark appears as an associate of Peter’s (1 Peter 5:13) – and even has returned to Paul’s company (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24).

Unity is based on reconciliation; unity requires reconciliation.  God has reconciled us all through the death of his Son; in that sense, unity is our starting point.  And Jesus has given to us the ministry of reconciliation, which doesn’t simply mean proclaiming what Jesus has done, but also requires showing how this reconciliation works itself out in real life, among real people who have real, deep differences and disagreements.

We’re not sure how far Paul and Barnabas got along the reconciling way to unity.  It does seem that, over several decades, Paul and John Mark found ways to unbolt the door between the two of them.  Among the very last words of Paul’s that we have are these: “Timothy, get Mark and bring him with you to me; he is helpful to me” (2 Timothy 4:11).

What doors have you slammed?  Take time to name in God’s presence those people and the reasons you had for slamming the door on them.  And listen to what God might have to say to you about those people and those relationships.  This isn’t necessarily about “letting them back into your life,” but is about letting them back into your prayers.

What doors have been slammed on you—can you name the people and their reasons?  How could you let them back into your prayer life?