Leaving a Lasting Legacy

By Bill Valine

A legacy is something that is passed on. A legacy may come from one’s character or achievements, and is intended to inspire others.

Leaving a legacy is not automatic. To leave a business legacy, for example, is difficult.

Nearly one in five businesses fails within its first year. After five years, that figure goes up to nearly half. At ten years, roughly one in every three companies is still in business.

Only a handful of companies are still operating after one hundred years. Still, many successful businesses have made powerful impact on commerce, and even on society.

But the impact of those companies pales in comparison to the impact left by Mary, mother of Mark.

We meet Mary in the twelfth chapter of Acts. King Herod has just had James executed and Peter arrested. The church in Jerusalem is praying earnestly for Peter.

In response to those prayers, God sends His angel, who miraculously brings Peter out of prison. The first thing Peter does is to go to “the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying” (Acts 12:12).

This simple statement reveals much about Mary’s character.

Mary was hospitable. She willingly allowed her house to be filled with members of the church. She gave of her time and resources to bless the saints.

This should not surprise us, since Colossians 4:10 reveals that she was a close relative of Barnabas, who was known as the Son of Encouragement, and who gave a large offering to the first church at Jerusalem (Acts 4:36, 37).

Holding the prayer meeting in her house showed that Mary was involved in the life and ministry of the church. She had a desire to see God move.

It also shows she was dedicated: it was her habit to host these prayer meetings.

After the angel brought Peter out of the prison and he had come to himself, he knew just where to go – straight to Mary’s house – because he knew he would find believers there.

Mary was a woman of prayer. And the fact that she prayed showed that she had an expectancy that God would answer those prayers.

In addition, that she and her house played a prominent role in the life of the church in Jerusalem meant that both the church leaders and the saints recognized her as a woman of upright character. It is not mentioned in the Bible whether she was married or widowed, but surely, she met the descriptions of a godly woman given in 1 Timothy 3:11.

Also, it is clear for all to see that she had placed Jesus first in her life. She placed Him above family loyalties. Acts 4:36 tells us her family was from the island of Cyprus, but we see that she chose to live in Jerusalem.

The fact that Jerusalem was the center of the Jewish religion made her choice all the more difficult. Placing Jesus first earned her the enmity of the Jews and put her life in danger with Herod, who had just had James killed.

In Mary, Mark had a great example of what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. And in turn, he reflected the character and faith he saw in his mother. Like Mary, he was involved in the ministry of the church, and he had a desire to see God move.

When he was given the opportunity to travel with Barnabas and Paul, we read in Acts 12:25 that he went with them. He was dedicated. He was mentioned more than once in Paul’s letters.

He was a man of good character. Barnabas, his relative, saw qualities in Mark’s life that caused him to invite Mark to accompany him and Paul on their missionary journey. Mark was a hard worker and he was a help to those in the ministry, especially to Paul (Philemon 24). Paul tells the Colossians, “if he comes to you, welcome him”(Colossians 4:10). From this we know he could be trusted.

Mark had vision. He realized that the Gospel of Jesus would still be working long after he was gone. So, as Mary had left a legacy for him, he had a desire to leave something for future generations - which motivated him to write, by the Holy Spirit, his gospel, which he calls “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1).

And Mark also centered his life around Jesus, placing Him above family, worldly success, and life itself. According to Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, he started the church in Alexandria, Egypt, and in Alexandria he gave up his life for Jesus.

It should be the desire of each of us to leave a legacy that will outlive us. But, how do we do that? We do not have to be perfect to leave a legacy. Mary was not perfect. When Peter was released from prison and knocked on her front door, Mary was among those who refused to believe Rhoda when she announced that Peter was at the gate.

Rather than celebrating that their prayers had been answered, the people doubted Rhoda’s words! Mark was not perfect either. During his trip with Paul and Barnabas, Mark willingly accompanied them to Cyprus. But when Paul suggested they travel to the mainland, Mark was unwilling to leave the familiar and travel to the unknown. He refused to go on, and instead returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13).

We do not have to be prominent, nor famous for doing great things for God. Mary was not a preacher nor an apostle. Mark was not an apostle, nor was it recorded that he ever led a missionary team. Yet these people have left legacies that powerfully affect people even today. So, what did they do that we can do?

Mary and Mark lived lives centered upon Jesus. They lived lives which were examples for those around them of what it was to be a follower of Jesus.

They were people of character. They were heavily involved in the ministry of the church, not just church goers. They desired to see God move, and they worked to see Him do that.

Mark did not let failures derail him. Of the places he could have chosen to go to after he disappointed Paul in Acts 15:36 –38, he chose to go back to Jerusalem, where I am sure he was encouraged by his mother.

In Jerusalem, Mark matured, and years later, this same Paul was able to say that Mark had become an asset to him, telling Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:11, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.”

Most of all, they prayed. If we will follow their examples, we too, with God’s help, will be able to leave a powerful legacy for our children and others who will come after us.