Earlier this year, I started a series highlighting the prominent minor characters in my novel, Coin and Dagger. First, we caught up with Bartimaeus, the blind beggar from Jericho. In this installment, we’ll get to know John Mark as we examine his place in scripture, unpack the rich traditions about him, and explore his role in Coin and Dagger.
As the audio version of Coin and Dagger nears completion, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the narrator’s interpretation of some of the secondary characters in the story. I was particularly excited to review chapter 22, the first appearance of John Mark. The narrator captured everything I envisioned, portraying John Mark as young, educated, and articulate. He comes across as curious and eager to learn, yet reserved and cautious in the face of difficult decisions.
So where did this character come from?
Meeting John Mark
Despite his authorship of what scholars agree is the earliest of the gospels, John Mark is not named in any of the four narratives.
His name first appears in scripture in Acts 12, when Peter miraculously escapes from prison and goes to the home of John Mark’s mother:
When this had dawned on him [Peter], he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. – Acts 12:12 (NIV)
From here, he joins Paul and Barnabas on a mission trip …
When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper. – Acts 13:5 (NIV)
… but leaves them before the journey has finished.
From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. – Acts 13:13 (NIV)
Later, when Paul and Barnabas part ways, John Mark joins Barnabas and does not feature again in the Acts narrative.
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 with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. – Acts 15:37-40 (NIV)
Much later, Paul mentions John Mark in his prison letters, penned in his final years. Paul sends for John Mark in one letter (2 Timothy 4:11) and in another pair of letters he confirms that John Mark has joined him (Colossians 4:10, Philemon 1:24).
How could I incorporate a person in a gospel-centered story if he doesn’t appear in scripture until Acts? It turns out that tradition remembers John Mark as a key player in several gospel passages.
Casting John Mark
As I noted above, John Mark does not appear by name in the gospel accounts. However, New Testament scholars agree that the young man who escaped naked from the soldiers who arrested Jesus by leaving his shirt behind is a self-reference included by the author. Only Mark’s account of Jesus’ arrest includes this detail.
A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind. – Mark 14:51-52 (NIV)
Though not as popular or widely known, other traditions connect John Mark to the gospel account in various ways, including.
- Placing the Upper Room (the site of the Last Supper) in the house of John Mark’s family. This would also be where the disciples took refuge after Jesus’ crucifixion, and the house Peter returned to in Acts 12.
- Crediting John Mark’s family with ownership of the garden of Gethsemane.
- Serving as a scribe to Peter after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. The early church fathers (Papias and Irenaeus) recognized Mark’s gospel as Peter’s account, recorded by John Mark.
- Recognizing John Mark as the rich young ruler who famously asked Jesus how he could gain eternal life, but went away sad when he heard the answer (Matthew 19:16-22, Mark 10:17-27, Luke 18:18-30).
Like much of tradition, there is probably a mix of truth and idealization present in these claims. Still, I found that with the exception of John Mark’s work as Peter’s scribe (which takes place after the events of the gospel), these traditions had an internal synergy that, when combined, would make a compelling and believable character.
Jesus’ repeated use of both the Garden of Gethsemane and the Upper Room suggests an established friendship with the owner(s) of both settings.
The family would have had ample opportunity to get to know Jesus and his disciples and absorb much from his teachings. The heir to the estate, in particular, would have been prepared to take over the family business eventually.
The only question left was, how could I put all of this in the pages of my story?
Scripting John Mark
Using the information we glean from scripture and tradition, I cast John Mark as a young member of a prominent Jerusalem family. I chose to introduce him as the rich young ruler, which provided a ready-made and familiar dialogue that readers could easily identify.
This scene also provided a natural opportunity to develop Matthew’s story, since he could relate to the attitudes and reservations expressed by John Mark. This scene offered the first chance for Matthew to testify to all that Jesus had done. Matthew sees an earlier version of himself in the young man, and that compels him to try to steer John Mark away from the faulty thinking that Matthew knew all too well.
Most of John Mark’s appearances in Coin and Dagger are portrayed through Matthew’s point of view. To Matthew, John Mark acts as a mirror, revealing to Matthew what the protagonist sees as a younger (or at times, alternate) version of himself. (Simon also has a mirror character, who we will visit in a future post).
However, in order for Matthew to understand what he saw in John Mark, we first have to get enough of John Mark on the page to form an opinion.
Understanding John Mark
The scant Biblical references show John Mark, in his youth, to be reluctant to commit and quick to turn away. This characteristic is threaded through the story of the rich young ruler, the naked escape at Jesus’ arrest, and the mission trip that John Mark failed to finish.
It is only late in his life, when he ministers to Paul in prison and records his gospel account, that we see John Mark finally acting with resolve and perseverance.
When we consider the setting of the gospel, John Mark’s resistance to change is not surprising. He was a member of a wealthy family during a time of upheaval and political instability that saw the Jewish middle class become increasingly impoverished as Rome tightened its grip on the region.
Falling into disfavor with the wrong people could have cost the family much, if not everything they owned. Despite the family’s friendship with Jesus and their willingness to show the disciples considerable hospitality, they probably hesitated to do so in any way that would suggest a threat (real or perceived) to Rome.
John Mark, being young and still learning the nuances of life, wears this hesitation on his sleeve. Yet, his insatiable curiosity about Jesus prompts him to tag along with the disciples (often quietly and at a distance) whenever he gets the chance.
As a result, he comes across as a young man who is trying to find a way to have the best of both worlds, holding on to the wealth and status he was born into while also embracing all that Jesus has to offer.
Meanwhile, Matthew, having wrestled with the same internal conflict, easily recognizes the struggle that John Mark is going through.
Portraying John Mark
Matthew takes an almost fatherly approach to John Mark. Partly because of the similarities that they share, and partly because of Matthew’s own desire to assuage his guilt over his shortcomings as a father. In John Mark, he sees a chance at redemption. It’s as if the young man had become Matthew’s long-term project.
In their interactions, Matthew’s boldness contrasts with John Mark’s timidity. As the back half of Coin and Dagger progresses, John Mark comes around very slowly. With each interaction—and Matthew’s persistent encouragement—he moves another step closer to understanding. To committing.
Ultimately, Coin and Dagger is the story of Matthew and Simon. So the story moves on beyond and without John Mark eventually. But, perhaps we’ll have an opportunity to explore together the rich traditions and interesting life of the first Evangelist in a future project …