THE STORY OF JESUS: Acts 15:36-41
“They parted company. Barnabas took Mark… but Paul chose Silas.” (Acts 15:39)
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, was a generous man.
He was nicknamed Barnabas (son of encouragement) (Acts 4:36-37).
When others feared the newly converted Paul, he stood by him (Acts 9:27).
Now he wants to give Mark, who had let them down in Pamphylia, another chance.
We learn from Paul that Mark was Barnabas’s cousin (Colossians 4:10).
We also see in this verse that Paul and Mark are eventually reconciled… grace wins.
Everyone needs a Barnabas, someone to believe in them when most others won’t.
A ‘son of encouragement’ who keeps rooting for you when everyone else has given up.
After all, we are talking about grace, and the God of 70 x 7 chances.
Paul should have known that grace can change even the worst of sinners (1 Timothy 1:16)
Thankfully he finally figured it out for Mark.
Do you need to be reminded about God’s amazing grace, even for the worst of sinners?
Are you an encourager, not giving up on people even when they fail big time?
May our lives be filled with many Barnabas’s, and may I be one of them!
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, You believe in me when I can’t believe in myself. Help me to encourage others in the same way, so that they too can experience the blessing of Your life-changing grace!