A Sermon for St Barnabas Day (the Fourth Sunday After Pentecost)
(Acts 11:22-30 & 13:1-3; Psalm 5:1-7; Galatians 2:15-21; Luke 7:36 – 8:3)
‘…for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.
And a great many people were brought to the Lord…’
Yesterday, June 11, was the day set aside for the church across the globe to remember ‘St Barnabas’. Of course, this is a special occasion for our parish since we are named after this man who emerged from the early church as a visionary leader, missionary, and apostle.
Our New Testament consistently names all of us who follow Jesus as ‘saints’. It is not uncommon for letters addressed to early churches to send their greetings ‘to the saints gathered at…’ (Charnwoood/Hall) Yes, we are all God’s saints or more literally God’s ‘holy ones’.
Of course, this does not dismiss the possibility of people emerging from church communities who’s lives are especially noteworthy. Throughout the ages the church has rightly recognised heroes of the faith. In their context these people put flesh on our faith – showing us what trust in God looks like. Effectively, the church has said that these lives are good examples for future generations.
Saint Barnabas is one of these noted heroes of the faith.
Most of what we know about the life of Barnabas is contained in Luke’s account of the early church known widely as the the Acts of the Apostles. Some have suggested that a more appropriate name for this history might be the ‘Acts of the Holy Spirit’. This is certainly a defendable position.
Sometimes it seems that the gospel message spread rapidly across Rome not because of the church but in spite of the church. In so many ways the early church is depicted as struggling to follow after the Holy Spirit.
Barnabas, however, was a notable exception. In a time when almost none of the church’s gains came easily, this man emerged as a brave and radically consistent follower of God.
Born into a Jewish-Cypriot priestly family, Joseph, when we originally meet him, had been renamed ‘Barnabas’, Son of encouragement’ by his fellow followers. It is a reference to his character bestowed by those who knew him best.
We first meet Barnabas as a property owner who generously sold a piece of land and ‘brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet’. It is an act of great generosity and faith.
In many ways, however, this act fades into insignificance as we see the character of this already noted ‘saint among saints’ emerge.
Saul had a reputation. A tyrant bent on the destruction of the fledgling church. As we heard last week, however, this self-confessed violent religious zealot was miraculously changed from enemy to advocate. Sometime later Saul came to Jerusalem where he ‘tried to join the disciples’.
The church responded in fear. Barnabas, however, responded in faith. He embraced the newly converted Saul, took him to the church leaders, and retold to them the story of Saul’s vision on the Damascus road. The result was that Saul was able to move freely among the disciples and to preach.
This is what a good person, ‘full of the Holy Spirit and of faith’ looks like.
Barnabas also represented the apostles at Antioch soon after the conversion of people from nations other than Israel. This called for a new way of thinking for the early church that many found difficult to live out. Change is difficult.
But unlike many of his time, Barnabas was able to see the conversion of people beyond the Jewish nation as God’s work. In the passage we’ve just heard the Jerusalem church sent Barnabas to investigate the goings-on of the Holy Spirit in Antioch.
There in a foreign land among a foreign people, Barnabas saw a God-grace that brought joy to his heart. His deep desired to see these new followers grow in the faith inspired him to go in search of Saul – something many were still unwilling to do.
Putting his life in Jerusalem on hold, Barnabas taught these young gentiles alongside Saul for ‘an entire year’. It was during this time that Barnabas was involved in responding to the prophecy of Agabus with a collection for the suffering church in Jerusalem.
Barnabas was able to see God at work – in the gentiles and in Saul – when few others could. He was both a teacher and able to respond practically to the need of others.
This is what a good person, ‘full of the Holy Spirit and of faith’ looks like.
And then Barnabas accepted the Holy Spirit’s call to spread the Gospel even further. The first missionary journey was a radical acceptance of Gentiles, and belief that God was working among them. Out of this Holy Spirit initiative God formed a string of church communities throughout Asia Minor.
It also inspired a fierce backlash of Jewish opposition. Paul testifies in Galatians that ‘even Barnabas’ struggled to live out the reality of God’s universal call in the face of this backlash. Yet it was this same Barnabas who argued the against gentile circumcision before the Jewish Council.
Immediately after this journey Barnabas and Paul split over whether John Mark should be taken on a second missionary journey after his earlier desertion. Much later Paul requests John Mark to join him again. It this a mark of respect for the ministry of Barnabas?
And it is also at this point that there is a change in the order. ‘Barnabas and Saul’ becomes ‘Saul and Barnabas’. I cannot help but think that it takes a great man to nurture an apprentice beyond himself.
Imperfect. Passionate. Willing to take on another apprentice. Open to the Holy Spirit.
Barnabas is what a ‘good person, ‘full of the Holy Spirit and of faith’ looks like.
And through this great one ‘…many people were brought to the Lord…’
No wonder Barnabas came to be openly regarded as an ‘apostle’.
It leaves me with a question: What if the life of St Barnabas was to be reflected in our community? Would people say: ‘A good community, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord’?
Amen.