Encouragement 

There’s a passage from the first chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy in which the ancient Israelites are encamped close to the border of the land promised to them by God. Moses tells them that the Lord wants them to go in and take possession of it. But the people are unsure. So, they send scouts ahead of them who confirm that the land is exceedingly fertile. But they also describe the inhabitants of the land as giants, great and powerful, and the people begin to lose heart. Seeing this, Moses addresses the people. He doesn’t try to rally them by telling them that they are stronger or better than they realize. He doesn’t say: “if you believe in yourselves, you can do it!” Instead, he reminds them of all the Lord had done for them already, and what He had promised He will do. Nonetheless, the people give into discouragement. Grumbling against Moses and the Lord, they refuse to take possession of the land. The people resume their wandering, and the Lord declares that this faint-hearted generation would die off and their children would be granted entrance into the Promised Land. 

Faint-heartedness was not a quality that St. Barnabas, whose feast day is this Tuesday (6/11), inherited from his ancient ancestors. He is introduced in the Acts of the Apostles as “Joseph, called Barnabas,” which means “son of encouragement,” who sold his property and donated the proceeds to the Church. He was a man with a great and generous heart; a courageous man who believed in the risen Lord and his trusted in His promises. These qualities emboldened him to befriend the newly converted Saul of Tarsus (St. Paul). The disciples in Jerusalem had heard of Saul’s conversion, but they remained extremely wary and suspicious of him. But Barnabas’ faith and trust in the Lord gave him the freedom he needed to introduce Saul into the company of the disciples. Barnabas would also be Saul’s companion on many missionary journeys, during which they experienced remarkable success, but also persecutions and great suffering.  

During their travels, Paul and Barnabas must have had many opportunities to speak words of encouragement to each other.  Not platitude-laden pep talks, but reminders of what the Lord had done for them through His own times of suffering and weakness, and what He promised He would do through theirs. In troubled and confusing times, it’s important to remember that discouragement in the life of discipleship is not of the Lord, but of the adversary. In the face of it we must help each other through mutual calls to deeper conversion, prayer, and good example – reminding each other as friends in Christ of what the Lord has done for us, and what He has promised He will do. Thus may we too be known as sons and daughters of encouragement, just like St. Barnabas.

posted 6/8/24