WEBVTT 00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:06.240 Today the readings give us a powerful lesson about what it means to be a mature Christian. 00:00:06.480 --> 00:00:10.880 Many people think Christianity is primarily about avoiding certain sins. 00:00:11.119 --> 00:00:15.199 Don't do this, don't do that, stay out of trouble. 00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:19.679 But Jesus and the early church set the bar much higher. 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:25.440 Christianity is not merely the absence of evil, it is the presence of Christ. 00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:34.079 In the first reading, we meet Barnabas, one of the most important figures of the New Testament, yet one of the ones that we least talk about. 00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:38.960 In fact, most of us know very little about Barnabas. 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:48.640 We know a great deal about Saint Paul, yet without Barnabas, there might never have been the missionary journeys of Paul as we know them. 00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:51.119 Notice what the scripture says about him. 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:55.520 He was a good man filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. 00:00:55.840 --> 00:00:57.520 What a beautiful description. 00:00:57.759 --> 00:01:01.600 Imagine if that was written about us or on our tombstones. 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:07.439 Not that he was wealthy, not that he was influential, not that he was successful. 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:12.319 Simply he was a good man filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. 00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:16.400 Barnabas arrives in Antioch and sees something beautiful happening. 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:21.280 People are converting, the gospel is spreading, the church is growing, and what does he do? 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:23.040 He encourages them. 00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:27.760 The name Barnabas actually means son of encouragement. 00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:32.079 He was a kind of person who made others better. 00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:34.560 And I think there's a lesson for us here. 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:44.159 There are two kinds of people in every parish, every family, every workplace, those who drain energy from a room, and those who bring life into a room. 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:46.799 Barnabas was the second kind. 00:01:47.120 --> 00:01:50.239 When he saw God's grace at work, he rejoiced. 00:01:50.480 --> 00:01:53.280 When he saw potential in others, he encouraged it. 00:01:53.439 --> 00:01:58.159 When others were suspicious of Saul's conversion, Barnabas believed in him. 00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:02.879 When the church needed missionaries, Barnabas said yes. 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:05.599 The church grows because of people like that. 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:10.240 In fact, one of the most overlooked ministries in the church is encouragement. 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:14.000 The word of encouragement can change a life. 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:22.960 A teacher encouraging a student, a parent encouraging a child, a spouse encouraging a husband or wife, a parishioner encouraging a priest. 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:28.639 You may never know how much a simple word can strengthen another person's faith. 00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:30.800 But then notice something else. 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:34.879 Barnabas goes to find Saul and brings him to Antioch. 00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:39.039 For an entire year there are there together teaching. 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:43.439 Barnabas understood something that every good leader understands. 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:45.759 The mission is bigger than me. 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:49.039 He wasn't interested in building his own reputation. 00:02:49.199 --> 00:02:52.000 He wasn't interested in any of the applause. 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:55.039 No, he was interested in building the kingdom. 00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:59.520 The saints are not competitors, they are collaborators. 00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:07.840 And because Barnabas was humble enough to share the mission, countless souls would eventually hear the gospel through Paul's preaching. 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:13.520 Now, if we connect all of this to today's gospel, Jesus says something startling. 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:20.159 Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:23.599 The people listening must have been shocked. 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:28.000 The Pharisees were known for meticulous religious observances. 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:31.280 How could anyone surpass them? 00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:38.479 The answer is that Jesus is moving the conversation from external behavior to the human heart. 00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:42.240 The Pharisees focused heavily on the letter of the law. 00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:45.599 Jesus focuses on the spirit of the law. 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:48.639 It is not enough simply to avoid murder. 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:50.639 You must confront anger. 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:52.800 It's not enough to avoid violence. 00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:55.120 You must seek reconciliation. 00:03:55.360 --> 00:03:57.759 It's not enough to appear holy. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:00.159 The heart must be transformed. 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:04.240 This is one of those central teachings of the Sermon on the Mount. 00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:07.759 Jesus is not lowering the standards by any means. 00:04:07.919 --> 00:04:09.280 He is raising it. 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:15.520 He is saying that holiness is not merely about what we do with our hands, it is about what we do with our hearts. 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:18.160 And that brings us back to Barnabas. 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:24.079 Barnabas wasn't simply obeying rules, his heart had been transformed by Christ. 00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:26.319 This is why he encourages others. 00:04:26.560 --> 00:04:29.920 This is why he could reject rejoice in the success of others. 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:32.800 This is why he could be generous with his gifts. 00:04:33.040 --> 00:04:36.240 That's why the Holy Spirit could send him on mission. 00:04:36.959 --> 00:04:43.759 The gospel today challenges us to examine something many of us carry around every day unresolved anger. 00:04:44.560 --> 00:04:50.800 Jesus says that people, before we bring our gifts to the altar, we should seek reconciliation. 00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:51.759 Why? 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:55.519 Well, because resentment is poison to the spiritual life. 00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:59.519 We often think the person we refuse to forgive is imprisoned. 00:04:59.839 --> 00:05:02.720 In reality, we're the ones sitting in the cell. 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:06.399 Forgiveness does not mean pretending that wrongs never happened. 00:05:06.560 --> 00:05:08.879 It does not mean saying evil was good. 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:12.879 No, it means refusing to let bitterness have the final word. 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:15.199 The saints understood this. 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:22.560 Barnabas could encourage others because his heart was free, and a free heart becomes fertile soil for the Holy Spirit. 00:05:23.439 --> 00:05:28.480 So today on this feast of Barnabas, perhaps we can ask ourselves a couple questions. 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:31.839 Am I known for criticism or encouragement? 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:35.519 Am I building my own kingdom or Christ's kingdom? 00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:40.319 Is there anyone that I see or that I associate with that needs forgiveness? 00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:44.959 Because the world does not need more religious people who simply follow the rules. 00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:49.439 The world needs more disciples whose hearts have been transformed by Christ. 00:05:49.680 --> 00:05:55.120 Men and women who are good, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith, men and women like Barnabas. 00:05:55.439 --> 00:05:59.680 And through people like that, the church continues to grow. 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:00.639 Amen.