Barnabas: Compassion

It takes an extraordinary heart to act upon what is seen. That might be a bit of an overstatement, but is it? Have you ever felt like people could see exactly what you needed and yet wondered why they wouldn’t act? More painful, have you ever seen someone, knew exactly what they needed, and refused to help? I think we all know how both of those situations feel — to be neglected and to neglect. Such is why I believe in this statement: it takes an extraordinary heart to act upon what is seen. In many cases, it requires tenderness, compassion, thoughtfulness, and the courage to act.

Could you imagine the need of the saints in Jerusalem? You have obeyed the gospel, which has been met with public ridicule (Acts 2:13), public arrests (Acts 4:3), and public orders to cease (Acts 4:18). The life which you have begun in Christ is opposed, not by the minority, but the majority. As a result, you have found yourself in great hardship - you do not have the means to survive because you are shunned by society.

Could you imagine the need of Saul? Saul, later to be known as Paul, was a living, breathing taboo. He was a well-known opponent of the gospel (Acts 8:1; 9:1-2). You are responsible for the bloodshed that has terrorized many of the people you now call “brother.” You are feared and doubted by your new family of faith (Acts 9:26). The thought of you as a fellow Christian is confounding. The church is afraid to associate with you.

Here, Barnabas enters the equation. You who lie in need, out of the generosity of this man’s heart, will come your next meals (Acts 4:36-37). You who are coldly regarded and consciously avoided, out of the depth of this man’s love, you will be proclaimed and endorsed as a genuine brother (Acts 9:27). The hungry are fed, the weak are made bold - the church reaps the benefit of an incredibly gracious and compassionate heart.

Barnabas’ heart perpetuated good for those of the kingdom of God, how? He looked, and he acted. He looked at the needs of the brethren - sustenance and inclusion - and he satisfied them. These were acts of tenderness, compassion, thoughtfulness, and courage. I aspire to be as loving as Barnabas, the “son of encouragement.” Do you as well?