The Running Man

Rev Gideon Lee

Mark 14:43-52

Jesus Arrested

14:43-50pp — Mt 26:47-56; Lk 22:47-50; Jn 18:3-11

43 Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.

44 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” 45 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 The men seized Jesus and arrested him. 47 Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

48 “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” 50 Then everyone deserted him and fled.

51 A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, 52 he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

I'm not going to be talking about Jesus betrayal and capture. But I want to talk about this young man and what happened.

I want to share with you about a poem by Edgar Guest.

When Things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and debts are high,

And you want to Smile but have to sigh.

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As everyone of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won if he'd stuck it out,

Don't give up though the pace seems slow,

You might succeed with another blow.

Often the struggler has given up,

When he might captured the victor's cup.

And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,

How close he was to the golden crown,

Success is failure turned inside out,

The silver tint of clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems afar,

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,

It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

This morning I want to talk to you about the Running Man. It's not about the Korean game show but about this running man in the scripture.

At the time when Jesus needed them the most this young man ran. Sometimes difficulty have a way of affecting us. And the instinct is to run. I mean we sometimes run from danger and that is fine. Like how Joseph ran from Potiphar's wife. It was not the first time. It seems for 11 years she was pursuing Joseph. But the final straw was when no one was in the house and Potiphar's wife caught hold of him to lie with her and he ran. When faced with temptation sometimes we have to run.

But here you find there's a bit of negativity in his running. This young man fled but I don't blame him. If it's me I too may run. They have come to arrest Jesus and a man's ears were cut. If I put myself in his situation I would run.

This young man is unnamed. But scholars said he is probably none other than Mark. The author of this book. And he was a rich man because the Bible said he was wearing linen. He is well to do and not one of the 12 disciples.

This is the only time in the gospel where this incident was mentioned. He was the author of the book of Mark. Why do you think he left the last two lines in the book that spoke about his weakness or failure unless there is something to be learned from it?

He did not delete it because we can learn something from it.

It was also repeated another time.

Acts 12:25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.

Don't be confused. Because two names John and Mark was mentioned. Mark is his Jewish name.

Acts 15:38-40

38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.

This time Mark fled again in the middle of a mission trip. It was enough to get Paul angry. So angry that he was in disagreement with Barnabas his partner because of Mark. If you are in Paul's shoes you'd probably be like Paul. This is not the first time Mark fled.

Looking at this person Mark we would have formed an opinion on Mark. What would your opinion be of Mark after these two verses? Irresponsible and undependable. But he is still the person that wrote the book of Mark. How can such a person be the author of a gospel.

What changed? What cause Mark to change? Someone who ran away became an author of the book of Mark. Sometimes our thinking can be formed by opinions. We can't control that. What we can control is the opinion about ourselves.

Mark could have said he is an undependable person but he changed and became an author of the book of Mark.

We call this in CSI as profiling. But our opinion of ourself is what really matters.

One day there was this minister who went to Hong Kong and he passed a tattoo shop. And he saw this design with the words called "Born to Lose". So the missionary thought who would want a tattoo like that? Curious, he went in and asked the shop owner why anyone would want a tattoo like that. And the shop keeper said in broken English, tattoo first happened in the mind then the body.

And you'd think Mark had the right thinking. And I have only 2 points in my message.

1. God has a plan for us.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

You are his handiwork and created in Christ. So your identity is in Christ. Not what people think about you. You have a purpose. That's why our tagline is blessed to be a blessing. We are created for good works. Which God has prepared in advance for us to do. We have something God has planned for us to do.

You are God's workmanship. When God looked at Mark in his helplessness, undependable person but God didn't leave him that way. He was work in progress. God didn't see what Mark is but what he can be. All of us here are work in progress. All of us are not perfect. We make mistakes. Can we all look as our brothers and sisters as not what they are now but what they can be. See their potential.

We can bring out the best in others. Most of the time we bring out the worst in one another.

God look at Mark and saw what he could be.  How do I know that?

2 Timothy 4:9-11

9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.

Is this the same Mark that we are talking about? Yes. A change happened. Now he is useful to the ministry. Paul is at his end already and he knew when he wrote this letter. Now Mark was useful. From someone who is undependable to someone useful. Paul could have chosen anyone but he chose Mark.

God can change you from a running Mark to the author of the book of Mark. How was you before you came to the Lord? We were wretched. But God saw the potential in you. He loved you so much he didn't want you to stay in the state you were in.

Parents, you want the best for your children right? Look at them with potential. I have to remind myself too. I have 4 of them. They are like a tag team. They can drive you up the wall. It is at this time that I ask God to show me the potential in my children. Work in their lives to change them. God has a plan for everyone of you. And his plan is to bless you.

Often times we are our worst enemy. We often discourage ourselves. My first point is that God has a plan for you and your identity is in Christ. I thank God he is not finish with me yet. That he did not see me in my worthless state and left me like that.

2. You and I are made in the image of God.

We are his handiwork made in his image. It is not just a literal image because God is spirit so we have the capabilities to have the character of God. As mentioned in Genesis. God's product is always good. Every creation God made he said it is good.

Psalms 8:4-6

4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,

human beings that you care for them?

5 You have made them a little lower than the angels

and crowned them with glory and honor.

6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;

you put everything under their feet:

This tells us who we are. We are crowned with honour and glory. We are made to rule. Evolution tells us that we are somehow one step slightly above apes. But the Bible tells me we are just one step below heavenly beings.

Whatever you are in, don't run. Don't give up.

There was a story of a pastor at an evangelistic meeting. At the end he was tired after preaching his heart out. He gave the altar call but because he was so tired he sat at the stage to catch his breath.

As he was doing that, he saw someone walked from the back to the front. He said before he could see him he could smell him. He has been living in the streets and he hasn't bathed. You know what I'm talking about. The pastor got up and went to the man. The smell was so bad he had to turn to his side to get his breath. And he asked him what is he doing? But in his mind the pastor was trying to get rid of him.

He put his hand on his pocket and gave to this man some money so he could get a meal. It's like how when you are eating and a beggar came and you give money so they'd go away.

The man pushed the hand away and said he don't want the money. He said I want the Jesus that you are preaching about. And the pastor broke down and cried. He almost sold this soul for a couple of dollars. We look at someone and we make an opinion. I hope we see people as people and not trees.

The pastor felt so bad he took him in, showered him and sent him to a rehab centre and gave him a church job. He ask the man one day to give a testimony. And the pastor heard him and said this man is a Preacher. So sent him to Bible school and today he is an ordained minister in a church.

When I told my school friends that I am a pastor they couldn't believe it because I was a….

God can take and change you but we need to put ourselves in the hands of God. Like Moses. Don't sell yourself short and give up. God can do it before, he can do it now, and he can do it again.

If you are suffering low self esteem or not feeling well I want to pray with you. That God has not given up on us. God has a plan for you even if you cannot see it now. His plan is never to destroy you but to mould you and if you allow it, you will see his handiwork.