The Feast of St. Barnabas
Written by Blake Plympton
Today, we are celebrating the feast of St. Barnabas. Now, unlike some of our other feast days of different Apostles, Barnabas is one of the more well-known ones even though he was not one of the original twelve. If you read the feast of St. James and Philip, we had to parse out which James we were even talking about and even then, it was still uncertain. Then, with Philip, we have only a couple of verses where he speaks and then we know very little about what he did after Christ’s Ascension. However, Barnabas is a different story.
If you are like me, you will hear the name Barnabas and say to yourself “He sounds so familiar, but I just can’t quite put my finger on it.” Well, the book of Acts will help us greatly. In Acts 4, we see that Barnabas is introduced as “Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’) …” (v36). After that, we know that Barnabas was one of the disciples of Christ before the time of Paul’s conversion, because, when Saul tries to join the disciples, they were all afraid because of the stories about him. (Acts 9:26) However, it was Barnabas who stuck up for Saul at this time and convinced the disciples that he was a changed man. The next time we see Barnabas, he is sent off to Antioch where there was good news about people there preaching the gospel. Once Barnabas arrives there, he sees the grace of God at work and is greatly encouraged himself. Upon witnessing this, he goes back to Tarsus, grabs Paul, and takes him back to Antioch with him so they could teach the new believers there. (11:23-24)
During the year that Saul and Barnabas were at Antioch, the Holy Spirit spoke to the prophets and teachers telling them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work that he was calling them to. So, Barnabas and Saul- who now finally has his name changed to Paul- continue to work with one another traveling around the Mediterranean spreading the gospel. But not everything goes smoothly. After they return from their first missionary journey and confront the Judaizers in Jerusalem, they get into a sharp disagreement. Just as they are about to take off on what we know as Paul’s Second missionary journey, Barnabas wants to bring along Mark, but Paul is opposed to the idea of him coming (Acts 15:36-41). We see them get into this disagreement and ultimately, they part ways. At this point, Barnabas makes his way to back to Cyprus with Mark and Paul goes away with Silas on his journey. After that, we really cannot say what Barnabas does while he is in Cyprus, whereas the Bible follows the story of Paul as he continues on his journeys.
The more I remind myself of Barnabas’ life and ministry that is found in scripture, the more I understand why the Apostles gave him his name. “Son of encouragement is no small title. I wish that I could have that as a nickname even, but my constant demeanor and skepticism prevent me from having that kind of constant way of living. Too often, I find myself complaining about my circumstances or about the things around me, or even critiquing people about what they might do or not do simply because I would choose to do it differently. Over the past decade or more, I have tried to become more encouraging, but at the end of the day, it does not just flow out of me that easily.
Maybe this is why the Apostles sent Barnabas to Antioch in the first place. If the people of Antioch had truly received the gospel, then they would need to be encouraged in their faith. They would need to hear the words of the gospel echoed back at them in a similar but different way from someone who knew it better than them. And, since we know that Barnabas becomes an Apostle, we can assume that he meets the same requirement as Mattathias by having walked with Jesus with the Apostles (Acts 1). Therefore, Barnabas would be the perfect person to affirm the teaching and the beliefs that these people had while also encouraging them in their place.
Another notable thing about Barnabas is that he has been known as the patron saint of second chances. How cool is that!? Through his act of giving Mark a second chance after leaving them, he provides an opportunity for Mark to grow and continue to be used by God in Cyprus. Now, giving someone a second chance is not always the easiest thing. Oftentimes, the person hurt you or caused you some pain and, in the process, broke your trust. It takes someone with a compassionate heart, who understands that he/she might be hurt again and willing to take that risk, to give someone a second chance. So, even after Mark left them in the middle of their journey, probably making their travels that more difficult splitting the workload between two people now and not three, he was willing to work with him again and allow him to continue to pursue the calling in his life.
Barnabas is a fresh reminder to me of the benefits of the Spirit in a believer’s life. Our lives are so different than those who do not believe that even small things we take for granted. I take for granted that I have the Spirit urging me to encourage others around me as a way of evangelism and fellowship. Whereas I know people who just want to tear people down to get a laugh at it or to get back at something they did. I also take for granted my ability to forgive people and give them a second chance. Too often have I been hurt by people, who have let me down or hurt me. Yet, I think about the ways that I have sinned against God and how when I come to confess to Christ, he is there ready and willing to forgive me time and time again. So, to imitate Christ to those who have hurt me is being willing to call them into repentance and forgive them of their wrongdoings against me. At the end of the day, the life I see in Barnabas in scripture reminds me of the way Christ lived in this world and how I can do the same through Christ who lives in me.
The Prayer for St. Barnabas (BCP 2019, p.629)
Grant, O God, that we may follow the example of your faithful servant Barnabas, who, seeking not his own renown but the well-being of your Church, gave generously of his life and substance for the relief of the poor, and went forth courageously in mission for the spread of the Gospel; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
When was the last time you were given a second chance? Was it something minor or major that you messed up on the first time?
Think about the time you gave someone a second chance after they messed up the first time. What hurdles did you have to overcome in the process of giving them that second chance?
What can you do now to prepare yourself for giving someone a second chance?
What are the ways you like to be encouraged?
How can you be more mindful of the ways that you encourage people in your life?
Pray about people in your life that might need encouragement and send them a note (email, text, call, postcard, voice memo, etc.) with the encouragement you think they need.