Son of Encouragement

SoBeing a Barnabas
Acts 6-10
“But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles…”
It is easy to see the worst in people. Since the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden, sin has reigned in people's hearts, making us all sinners who manifest our sinful nature. When we embrace Christ as our savior, we are given new life, but this new life is not the end of our transformation; it is the beginning. Even though our sins are forgiven and we are now indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we still struggle with the daily reality of our sinful nature present within us. Even the godliest person still does ungodly actions and manifests ungodly attitudes. As a result, we can always find fault in others and reasons to condemn their actions.
Saul (whose name was later changed to Paul) was a staunch crusader for the traditional Jewish faith. Because of his background as one trained in Judaism, he saw the rise of Christianity as both an affront and a threat to the Jewish faith and tradition. When the religious leaders stoned Stephen to death, Saul was present, shouting his approval (8:1). When the Jewish leaders initiated an active campaign of persecution against the church and Christians, Saul not only gave his approval but also became one of the leaders in the campaign of terror. He actively pursued Christians and dragged men and women into prison. If there was ever a name that incited fear in the hearts of the people in the early church, it would have been Saul.
However, on a trip to Damascus to further assault the church, in one of the incredible acts of God’s grace, Saul was unexpectedly confronted with a direct vision from Christ. Even more surprising, Christ not only graciously forgave Saul, but also chose him to lead the outreach to the Gentiles. God can forgive and forget our sins, but people are another matter. Even though Saul experienced Christ's redemptive work, the people’s response was different. Three years after his conversion (see Gal. 1:17-18), Paul finally made the journey back to Jerusalem to connect with the disciples and the leaders of the early church. Yet, as a testament to the fear they had of Saul, even after three years, they were refusing to accept him into their fellowship. For them, the reports of Saul’s conversion were just a ruse to infiltrate the church and bring further destruction in their midst. For them, Christ could save anyone---except Saul.  
However, there was one person who saw Saul differently, and that was a man named Joseph. Like Paul, he had been a religious leader, a Levite from Cyprus. Yet his compassion and gracious acceptance of people were so evident that he was nicknamed  Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement.” The nickname “Encouragement” is the word used to describe the Holy Spirit, and it refers to one who comes alongside others to encourage them, especially in the faith. Barnabas had a passion for bringing people into fellowship with God and with his church, so much so that it became his nickname. He saw the potential in others because he saw God working in them. As an “encourager,” he did not see Saul based on his past; he saw Saul through the lens of God’s redemptive work. He did not see Saul; he saw Paul. Where the world saw someone to fear, Barnabas saw someone God could transform and through whom God could accomplish great things.  
The challenge is to be like Barnabas. Where others see failure and sin, we are to see the work of God’s grace and the potential for God to use. It is easy to become focused on people’s past and their weaknesses. Instead, we need to see people through the lens of God’s grace and his empowerment in their lives. We don’t see past failures; we see the potential of God’s work in the future. Everyone in the church saw Saul’s past, but Barnabas saw Saul’s potential through Christ. What do we see when we look at people?