Nexus of the Heart

Monday, May 16, 2022

Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria.  They preached the word of God, but only to Jews.  However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus.  The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.  When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch.  When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.  Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith.  And many people were brought to the Lord.  Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul.  When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch.  Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people.  (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians).      Acts 11:19-26

Barnabas seemed to always be in the middle of good things happening.  He is what I would call a Nexus of the Heart, that connection that brings kindness, mercy, and the seeds of love to bear on any situation.

While it was God at back of all the events, orchestrating, and moving people by His Spirit, Barnabas was the nexus God used to hold it all together and cross-pollinate goodness, joy, and obedience throughout the process.

From Acts 10 through 15 we find Barnabas continually cooperating in bringing believers together, as well as leading unbelievers to believe.  The Holy Spirit chose Barnabas to work with Paul on his missionary endeavors, starting churches all over Asia Minor, especially at Antioch (in today’s southern Turkey).  When there was difficulty or disagreement on methods or what to do, it was Barnabas who helped people reconcile and get along[1].  Doing that God was glorified by Barnabas’ life!

Not all of us will have that kind of pivotal public life of building the church, or being instrumental in changing the world.  But we all can (and should) be part of that work; it is our calling to work in God’s vineyard.  You may be the one who cleans up after the master brewer gets done with the grapes, but, if you’ve invited Jesus to be your savior, you’re part of His business.

For You Today

If you take just a moment or two to consider the kind of love and care Barnabas had for bringing people into the fold, and then think about the people that you encounter in your neighborhood, work, shopping, school, or any other activity…those are the kinds of people Barnabas would embrace.  And Jesus would say:  Go, thou, and do likewise!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road with Jesus; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title image: Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©  

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[1] Compare Acts 15:37-39 and 2 Timothy 4:11