Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.”

Peacemakers are few and far between these days. Never in my lifetime have I seen such hatred. If we disagree with someone, we are quick to send them to hell. Barnabas set a much-needed tone in the early church. From the hatred within the religious establishment to the persecution that seems to follow anything new, the early church needed a voice of calm, trust, and encouragement, and that’s how Barnabas is described in Acts 4:36: “A son of encouragement.”

Saul of Tarsus was a mean, vindictive, hateful murderer until he met Jesus, and his life was radically changed. His reputation led most of the church to distrust him, but Barnabas did not. He believed the change he saw in Saul was genuine, and he took him before Peter and the other Apostles and defended him. Saul’s reputation was so bad that he needed a new name, and Barnabas accompanied him at the start of his new life.

When Paul had a falling out with John Mark, it was Barnabas who defended John Mark. The peacemaker tried to stop dissension. I realize the world we live in is far from perfect, but I sure wish we had a few more like Barnabas today.