Submitted by Pastor Mike Christian, Tarkio Assembly of God

There is a man in the New Testament who is surely one of the most overlooked and under-recognized characters in the Bible. His name is Barnabas. What kind of man was he?

We are told that when the young, struggling church at Jerusalem needed financial help he sold his property and gave the income to the church. We are told also that on another occasion he and Paul took an offering at the church in Antioch and carried it to Jerusalem to help those who were left in need because of a famine.

Not only did Barnabas help with the financial needs of people, but he helped them in other ways as well. When the church in Antioch needed more leadership, Barnabas went to Tarsus and persuaded Paul to return with him and help.

But there is another quality that Barnabas had that even overshadowed those. After Paul had been converted to the Christian faith and wanted desperately to meet with the Christian leaders in Jerusalem, they refused to see him. They were suspicious of him, afraid he might still be seeking to do them harm.

Paul searched in vain to get someone to take him to the church leaders. But no one dared to take the chance. No one, that is, but Barnabas. Barnabas risked everything – his reputation and even his life – when he volunteered to introduce Paul to the church leaders. Barnabas reasoned that you should not hold a man’s past against him when he had a change in heart.

Sometime later, when Paul was preparing for what is commonly known as the second missionary journey, he refused to include John Mark in his group. Mark had deserted Paul and Barnabas in the middle of their first journey and Paul held this against Mark.

But Barnabas was the type of person who dared to give a man another chance. So he separated from Paul and took John Mark with him. Once again he risked his reputation to give a man another chance.

I have often wondered where the world would be without Barnabas. There is a possibility that Paul would have never become one of the apostles and would not have been able to accomplish his great work. And there is a chance that John Mark would have turned back on his new Faith.

If that had happened, we would be much the poorer. For it was Mark who wrote the first recorded account of the life and teachings of Christ which we have. If you doubt how great the contribution of Mark is, you must remember that of the 678 verses contained in Mark’s gospel, all but 30 are copied by either Matthew or Luke in their works. Take away Mark’s material and the material contained in the first three gospels would be little indeed.

When Paul needed a friend but didn’t deserve one, Barnabas was there. When Mark needed a friend but didn’t deserve one, Barnabas was there. There’s always a need for a Barnabas. The world is a better place – and much richer – because of Barnabas. His kind is still needed today and will be as long as the world endures. May each of us step up and become a ‘Barnabas’ in our world today!