Joses or Joseph from the Book of Acts was an extraordinary brother. Someone who always had the right encouragement at the right moment. Someone who noticed when someone else was sad and needed to be comforted. Someone who had a feeling for worry lines. And someone who then approached that person and comforted them.
At some point, his brothers called him “Barnabas.” Luke translates this as “son of consolation.” We have to imagine that he was literally called “son of consolation” – this gives us a profound insight into Joseph’s importance for his brothers and sisters. This characteristic was outstanding. [1]
Joseph was probably equipped with a unique shepherd’s heart, who suffered with others, showed compassion, was genuinely interested in the well-being of others, and did not just succinctly ask, “So, how are you?” but was genuinely concerned about the well-being of the other person. The following two Bible verses from Proverbs probably apply to Barnabas’ ministry:
- “A word spoken in due season, how good it is!!” (Prov. 15:23).
- “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (Prov. 25:11).
Barnabas probably knew how to advise on difficult issues, was able to give the right Bible verse at the right time, and was able to bring encouragement that settled in the sad heart of the brother/sister.
We need more such “Barnabas”—brothers and sisters who can and do comfort. Prayer for sad brothers and sisters is essential, yet it is also necessary to comfort each other.
If our brothers and sisters were to give us a “nickname,” what would it be? What characteristic distinguishes us? Could we also be called “son/daughter of consolation”?
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Footnotes:
[1] By the way, it is interesting that the Greek term for Joseph’s surname has the same root word (paraklétos) as the Lord’s term for the Holy Spirit, the true Comforter. This again shows what a significant role Barnabas played with this important characteristic.
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