St Barnabas, Apostle (Jun 11)

The Encourager

‘News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; for he was a good man., full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord.’ Acts 11.22-24

‘I believe in him’

Had Barnabas not spoken up for Paul, at the outset of his ministry, Peter and the others may have taken more convincing of the genuineness of Paul’s conversion (Acts 9.27). This is our introduction to this man of encouragement. Then in today’s reading, Barnabas is at it again, bolstering the faith of the folk in Antioch. Thank God that the Jerusalem Church had been guided to send such an affirming and strengthening disciple! ‘Take my word for it, Paul is a changed man!’ – and the disciples, taking the word of Barnabas, had realized that in the future when an encourager was needed, he was the man; history has shown how wise they were.

Barnabas the Cypriot

Bamabas was a Levite, from Cyprus; and in later days, when he and Paul went their separate ways after the dispute over John Mark (whom Barnabas again defended, giving encouragement to the younger man) Barnabas went back ‘home’ again to Cyprus with Mark (Acts 15.39). Today a little church with a pretty cupola stands on the island over the grave where tradition has it that Barnabas is buried.

‘Christian’ Antioch

Syrian Antioch, where Barnabas so encouraged the believers, was where the disciples were first called ‘Christians’ (Acts 11.26): a tribute to our saints dedicated work there. Rather than be called ‘Disciples of Barnabas’, which would have been perfectly natural, cf., e.g., Matt. 9.14) – they took (or were bidden to take) the name of their Lord.

Would our lives stand up to us walking about with the placard, ‘I am a Christian’? The implication is there, for example, when we march in the Procession of Witness on Palm Sunday or Good Friday – yet some Christians are even too shy to join in these processions. May we remember Barnabas and the first ‘Christians’ of Antioch, and never be slow in standing up and out for Jesus.

Affirming others

May we also, on ‘Barnaby Bright’, as this day (in the old calendar, the longest of the year) used to be called, resolve to ‘do a Barnabas’, and affirm and encourage others in their ministry. This in itself is a valuable ministry, and may make the difference between a person’s staying the course or giving up in despair. Can’t each of us recall some words of encouragement that made a mountain of difference for us? They may have come from a trusted friend, or a stranger – or, heaping coals of fire on our heads, from someone whom either we had wronged, or who had a grudge against us, yet who was big enough to bridge the gap and cheer us on.

The disciples at Antioch were going great guns, but that was no reason for withholding encouragement; we are never so self-sufficient as to stand in need of ‘encouragement-deprivation’: affirmation is as vital when life is going well as in the bad patches. Remember when the first disciples returned from their initial mission; elated with the work’s success, they clustered round Jesus, bursting with news of exorcisms, healings and the like. And Jesus crowned their euphoria with a tremendous helping of encouragement: ‘I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning,’ he told them (Luke 10.18).

Would that our Lord could encourage us in such a way!

Suggested hymns

Courage, brother, do not stumble; Happy are they, they that love God; Help us to help each other, Lord; When I needed a neighbour.