In the name of Christ Jesus, dear friends:
If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be? That question might seem a bit odd, but it isn’t all that strange if we consider how often people make these comparisons in everyday conversation. The English language is filled with examples in which human beings are equated with other living creatures. Here a just a few examples.
A person who is able to lift huge amounts of weight is “as strong as an ox.” An athlete with speed and agility is said to possess “cat-like” quickness. And how many umpires or referees have made it through an entire game without hearing an angry fan call them “as blind as a bat?” You get the idea.
If you had enough time, you could probably come up with an animal to describe just about every person you know. But perhaps a more intriguing and a more threatening question to ask yourself is this: What animal would other people choose to describe me?
Would your appetite make others more likely to say you eat like a bird or a horse? Would your ambition cause your co-workers to call you a shark? Would the person who purchased your car for more than it was worth liken you to a weasel or a rat?
If the gospel writer Mark were among us today, I believe that he would be very surprised to see how he is depicted in the window that is dedicated to him. The Bible doesn’t reveal much about his life, but what it does tell us is not very flattering.
Mark didn’t always stand up for Jesus. Mark didn’t always stand up for the truth. Mark didn’t always have his priorities in order. So what animal did our forefathers choose to picture this very human, very flawed individual? A lion.
No, this is not a mistake. The reason for this choice has to do with the images of the four creatures in Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4 (already explained in previous sermons). But there is more to this man’s story.
No, Mark wasn’t perfect. Yes, Mark was a sinner. But if we look at all the evidence, if we look at everything the Bible has to say about him and everything he has to say about Jesus, we will discover that the choice is an appropriate one after all. And as we examine the window and study the Word, we will be able to see a clear picture of…
MARK: THE LATE-BLOOMING LION
I. The winged lion
II. The Latin scroll
III. The green tree
I. The winged lion
We don’t know much about Mark, especially when we compare our knowledge of him with the other gospel writers. Matthew was a tax collector and a disciple of Jesus. Luke was a doctor and a trusted companion of Paul. John was the “disciple whom Jesus loved,” as well as the author of five New Testament books.
A study of Mark leaves us with more questions than
answers. Instead of filling his gospel with autobiographical information, Mark shines
the spotlight on Jesus. While it is much
more important for us to know our Savior than the people who wrote about him,
it is still worth a few moments of our time to examine what the Bible reveals
about Mark, if for no other reason than to gain a deeper appreciation for the
gospel that bears his name.
There is a possible reference to Mark in the passion story. Maybe you remember that odd piece of
information we hear in our midweek Lenten readings every year, the reference to
the streaker in the
Mark is mentioned by name in the book of Acts as the cousin of Barnabas. And when Barnabas and Saul/Paul embarked on their first missionary journey, they thought enough of Mark to take him along as a helper.
Unfortunately, this working relationship didn’t
last. After the first leg of the journey,
John Mark abandoned Paul and Barnabas and went back to
Mark describes himself as a young man who fled at the first sign of danger. Luke reports that he was a quitter. When Jesus needed him the most, Mark ran for cover. When the going got tough, Mark ran home. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t exactly fit my description of a lion. Maybe a cowardly lion from another story, but definitely not the king of the beasts.
Actually Mark sounds a lot like someone who recently told me about a personal experience from college. As part of a political science class at a large state university, he was assigned to take part in a small group discussion. As he walked into the room, the teaching assistant announced that the topic for debate was abortion.
Not surprisingly other students, both male and female, defended the practice on the grounds that legalized abortion made it safe, that it was a legitimate way to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, that it was the woman’s right to choose.
What did surprise him is that no one took the pro-life position. No one stood up for the rights of the unborn. As the one-sided discussion continued, his stomach tied itself in knots. His face was flushed. He could feel the anger welling up inside.
Even though that was almost thirteen years ago, I can still remember what I said. Nothing. Instead of standing up for the Lord, I ran away. Instead of standing up for the truth, I went home.
Can you relate? Have you ever run away from danger? Or worse yet have you ever run away from opportunities, opportunities to share your faith, opportunities to speak the truth? There is a lion out there, but it isn’t you or me. The devil prowls around like “a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (I Peter 5:8). And he will do everything in his power to strip you of your salvation.
He might appeal to your sinful self: “There is no need for you to take unnecessary risks. There is no reason to subject yourself to that kind of abuse. Take the easy road. Take the path of least resistance, and your life will be so much easier.”
If that doesn’t work, Satan might try to drudge up your
sinful past: “What gives you the right to speak up? What gives you the right to call yourself a
Christian? You aren’t any better than
anyone else. You are guilty of the same
sins. You failed before and, no matter
how hard you try, you will fail again. Why
don’t you just give up?”
What if Mark had taken the devil up on his offer? What if Mark had given up? We probably wouldn’t have his gospel. We probably wouldn’t be talking about his window. And there is even a possibility that his place in heaven would be empty.
We don’t have to wonder about the “what-ifs” because Mark didn’t listen to Satan’s lies. Mark didn’t give up. He recognized that he was a sinner, but he also believed that the Son of God was his Savior. That confidence comes through loud and clear in the pages of his gospel.
II. The Latin scroll
Of the four gospels, Mark is the shortest. His writing style has been compared to newspaper reporting. Because print space is limited, writers need to be concise. Because the space on this scroll is even more limited, our forefathers needed to capture the essence of Mark’s message in only a few words.
The two word phrase, “pax tibi” (tr. “peace be with you”), doesn’t make much sense, at least not at first. Mark wrote in Greek. Mark spoke Aramaic. So why are these words written in Latin? Because Mark wrote with a Gentile audience in mind.
In sixteen chapters he quotes only one Old Testament
passage. He explains Hebrew terms and customs
for those unfamiliar with Jewish culture.
It is also believed that Mark received much of the information for his
gospel from Peter in
Even if we are able to resolve the language issue, the
words themselves present another challenge.
Jesus appeared to his disciples on Easter evening and declared: “Peace
be with you” (Luke 24:36, John
Maybe it would be helpful for us to approach the words from a different angle. Maybe they are not intended to come from Mark as much as they are intended for Mark. Imagine that he is sitting at Peter’s feet as the disciple recounted the events of Easter Sunday. He had just denied his Lord three times. He had just looked into the empty tomb that morning. He had been waiting anxiously in the locked room when Jesus passed through the doors and proclaimed: “Peace be with you.”
Jesus’ presence gave Peter new hope. Jesus’ words brought Peter true peace. And it was Peter’s privilege to share the peace of Jesus with his dear friend Mark. Even if he had deserted Jesus, even if he had abandoned Paul and Barnabas, Jesus brought peace. Peace to quiet a raging conscience. Peace to know that his sins were forgiven. Peace to live each day for the one who had died for him. Peace that will last for an eternity in heaven.
III. The green tree
This is a tree. That much is obvious. What is not so obvious is how this tree made its way onto this window. The only reference to a tree in Mark’s gospel is to a fig tree that withered and died after it fell under Jesus’ curse. This tree looks pretty healthy to me. So if this tree doesn’t symbolize the fig tree in Mark 11, what is it?
Perhaps the most famous tree in the Bible is the tree of
life, the tree that stood next to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in
the middle of the Garden of Eden. Jesus
alludes to this tree in the book of Revelation when he promises that believers
will “eat from the tree of life, which
is in the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7).
And Mark’s gospel proclaims the same message, the message of eternal
life through faith in Jesus Christ (see Mark
Green is the color of life. Green is the color of the season (see the altar paraments) because the Sundays after Pentecost focus on the spiritual growth of the Christian. And Mark is a prime example of a believer who grew in his faith.
There was a time when Paul was disappointed by him. There was a time when Paul refused to work
with him. But listen to what Paul had to
say about Mark a few years later: “Demas,
because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to
Of all the people Paul could have requested to come to his side, of the hundreds of Christians who could have comforted him in his last days, Paul wanted to see Mark. Talk about a change of heart. Talk about a vote of confidence. Paul’s words gave Mark’s faith a shot in the arm, and they continue to be a source of encouragement for believers today
In his wisdom the Lord enlists late-blooming lions like Mark, sinful creatures like you and me, to do his work. He says: “Don’t let the devil stop you. Don’t let the world silence you. Remember that I have given you peace. Nourish yourself with my Word. Strengthen your faith through my sacrament. Trust in me. Follow me. And you too will grow.” Amen.