DEC 23

Colossians 4:10
Memorise Isaiah 43:25
“…receive him…”

Colossians 4:10 continues with “…and Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him).” Marcus is another name for John Mark, who is a relative of Barnabas, Paul’s close friend and companion. Paul and Barnabas took John Mark on their first missionary journey, but the latter left them in Perga to return to Jerusalem instead of continuing with the work (Acts 13:13). When the time came to begin the second missionary journey, Barnabas wanted again to take John Mark, but Paul disagreed, for he remembered John Mark’s earlier reversal. The resulting conflict was so sharp that Paul and Barnabas separated. However, in the years that followed, John Mark proved to be true to Christ after all, and was later reconciled to Paul, so Paul here commended him to the Colossians. Since Perga was from Colossae, the Colossians had most likely heard of John Mark’s earlier defection, so Paul gave specific instructions: if he comes, receive him (ie. don’t reject him). Later, Paul commends John Mark for being profitable to him in his ministry (2 Timothy 4:11). This is true forgiveness: not only has Paul forgiven John Mark for forsaking the ministry earlier, but he has forgotten it as well, for he made no mention at all of it, but simply exhorted them to receive him. Note that forgetting it does not mean Paul has somehow erased his own memory banks about the incident, but it simply means that Paul does not hold it any more against John Mark. In the same way, Christ will not remember our sins any longer once they have been forgiven (Isaiah 43:25).

Do you truly forgive and forget? Years ago, there was a teen that had let me down badly while he was still attending the Teens Fellowship. He subsequently apologised to me, and I had verbally forgiven him. Recently, he was asked by a brother to serve in another ministry, and I found I had great trouble in my mind trying not to consider his past mistake years ago. This showed that I forgave, but I did not forget. Thankfully I did not mention that teen’s past to that brother, so it did not affect the decision to accept that teen into the ministry. However, I was ashamed that, despite it being so many years ago, I still held that teen’s mistake against him. Dear teen, I pray that for those you have forgiven for their wrongdoing against you, you do not hold this wrongdoing against them any longer.

Thought: What happens if I do not forget?
Prayer: May I always forgive and forget, as Christ has done so to me.