Saint Barnabas (transferred)

The Feast of St. Barnabas is on June 11th. For Christ Church in Albertville, I'm transferring it to today for our midweek Eucharist.

“Barnabas” is the name given by the first Christian apostles to Joseph, a Israelite priest who accepted Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. “Barnabas” means, “son of encouragement." And the Book of Acts contains much evidence of his encouragement. When Saul, the former persecutor of Christians, couldn’t meet the Church in Jerusalem because no one trusted him, it was Barnabas who put his life on the line, trusted Saul and brought him to his fellow Christians. When Jewish Christians in Antioch began bringing Gentiles to faith in Christ; it was Barnabas who brought Saul (now known as Paul) to Antioch where the two of them could encourage these new Christians together. Then Barnabas and Paul travelled together on the first mission trip of Paul.

Though a priest of the House of Israel, Barnabas valued all people as children of God and worked tirelessly to show them the eternal value they had in God’s eyes. His valuing of all people led him to support a compromise in which male Gentile Christians were not required to be circumcised, as male Jews were, but were asked not to eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols out of respect for their fellow Christians of Jewish descent. Paul, however, valued truth above all, in this case the truth that God had brought all people together in Jesus Christ. Thus, there should be no barriers that would make it harder for Gentiles to embrace Christianity.

Paul challenged Barnabas over the issue of food laws in Antioch. They argued so violently over this that on their next mission trip, they had to separate. And so it always seems to be in the Church, which is called to both encourage and challenge. When should one encourage people by meeting them where they are? When is it time to issue a challenge based on Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life? The debates continue, sometimes in a more civil manner than others.

We also know this. Late in his life, long after their violent argument, Paul and Barnabas apparently reconciled. Barnabas’s cousin, Mark, whom Paul had refused to take with him on the second mission trip, was with Paul when he wrote to the Colossians. “If he comes to you, welcome him,” Paul wrote of Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. Eventually, the Encourager who valued people, and the Challenger who valued truth, were reconciled and were friends once again.

Let the encouragers work for unity. Let the challengers work for truth. Do not fear the disagreements, and don’t let that fear silence you. Be assured and at peace; because in the end, God will win the argument, and all will be in agreement in God’s good time.