Redeemed Failures, Day 4: John Mark — When You Walk Away Too Soon

Mark 14:51–52; Acts 13:1–13; Acts 15:36–41; 2 Timothy 4:11; Colossians 4:10

A Shadow in the Garden

It was dark when they came for Jesus. In the confusion of Gethsemane's torches, swords, and soldiers, the disciples scattered. And just as the night swallowed their courage, Mark’s Gospel records an unusual detail found nowhere else:

“A young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.” (Mark 14:51–52)

The Gospel never names him, but many believe it was the author himself: John Mark. A quiet, humble signature. If so, it was his first recorded encounter with failure: caught in the middle of Jesus’ arrest, panicked, and fleeing unclothed into the shadows. It was a moment of fear and retreat, preserved only in the pages of his own gospel.

If it was John Mark, it wouldn’t be the last time he turned away when it counted.

A Promising Start

Later, when the church in Antioch sent out Barnabas and Saul for gospel work, they took John Mark along as a helper (Acts 13:5). He was likely young, energetic, eager to serve. He had connections. His mother’s home was a hub of early Christian prayer, and Barnabas was his cousin. Everything pointed to potential.

But after only a short stretch on the journey, something went wrong. Luke tells us simply, “John left them and returned to Jerusalem” (Acts 13:13). No reason is given. Just departure. Some speculate that it was fear, illness, disillusionment, or discomfort with Gentile ministry. Whatever the reason, it disappointed Paul deeply.

The Wound of Disappointment

Later, when Paul suggested revisiting the churches they’d planted, Barnabas wanted to bring Mark again. Paul refused. “He deserted us,” was the charge. The disagreement was sharp enough that Paul and Barnabas parted ways. Barnabas took Mark. Paul chose Silas (Acts 15:36–41).

It’s easy to miss the weight of that moment. Not only had Mark left once. He now became the center of a rift between two of the early church’s most trusted leaders. His failure wasn’t scandalous, but it was enough to fracture trust.

Some wounds are quiet. Some failures aren't dramatic; they're just disappointing. But they still leave a mark.

The Quiet Work of Grace

We don’t know what happened in the intervening years. There’s no record of Mark defending himself. No dramatic comeback story. Just time. Community. Perhaps hard conversations. And grace.

Eventually, something changed. By the end of Paul’s life, he writes from prison: “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11). The one who once walked away is now requested by name.

Even more, church tradition holds that John Mark became the author of the Gospel of Mark, shaped by the eyewitness teaching of Peter. If true, the young man who once fled the garden naked later became the one who first wrote: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

God was not done with him.

A Grace That Restores More Than Reputation

John Mark’s story is for those who’ve walked away: whether from a calling, a commitment, or simply from the hard path of discipleship. His name is a quiet encouragement to those who feel they left too soon, disappointed someone who trusted them, or let fear override resolve.

God’s grace doesn’t always remove the consequences, but it never abandons the person. In Christ, past unreliability does not have to define future usefulness. Restoration may be slow, and it may require others who believe in you when others no longer do. But God finishes what He starts.

Don't Give Up

Maybe you’ve walked away from something important, maybe even from Christ Himself. Maybe others remember your departure more than your devotion.

John Mark’s story reminds us that the One we fled from is also the One who calls us back. The garden doesn’t have to be the end. In Christ, it may become the prelude to a far better sentence.

The same grace that saw you run can one day call you “useful,” a good and faithful servant of Christ and His Kingdom.

Enjoy all 31 devotionals in the Redeemed Failures series here —stories of grace, second chances, and the God who still restores.