April 28, 2024; 5th Sunday of Easter (Year B)

Readings: Acts 9:26-31; 1 Jn. 3:18-24; Jn. 15:1-8 

A Hard Man is good to find.

1.     In today’s gospel, Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit because without me you can do nothing.” (Jn. 15:5). Christian life must be rooted in Christ and directed by the relationship shared in and with Him. Therefore, Christians must live in such a way as to say with St. Paul, “I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20). To grow and live with and in Christ demands compatibility of character. The risk in organ transplants is the rejection of the foreign body by the donor body, which is called incompatibility. If husband and wife are not compatible, that marriage has no future. Hence, without compatibility of character between Jesus and His disciples, no growth or intimacy is possible. As sinful people, we need the pruning, purification, and cleansing effect of the Holy Spirit to make us compatible with sinless Jesus. We must align our priorities with Christ to function and bear fruit as his disciples.

2. In today’s first reading, Saul, the persecutor who had tried to destroy the Church and dragged men and women to prison, was converted on his way to Damascus. He is now preaching the Christ that he was against. In Jerusalem, Paul’s new religion and his enthusiasm to preach Christ as the Lord face stiff opposition, suspicion, and doubts. This was Paul who gave permission for Stephen to be stoned to death. How can he be trusted? He was snubbed and avoided. “When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.” (Acts. 9:26). How lonely Paul must have felt. Did he make a mistake? Did Christ really speak to him on that road? These thoughts must have gone through his mind. Then, Barnabas, also called Joseph, came to his rescue. He was a Levite, a Cypriot by birth. The Apostles named him Barnabas, meaning ‘Son of Encouragement’. He was “a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.” (Acts 11:23).

3.     Barnabas epitomized early Christians’ lives. He was a branch that sprung from the divine vine - Jesus. For he knew that to bear fruit, he had to align his values, ethics, identity, personality, and priorities with Christ. He took charge of Paul and vouched for him as his spokesperson. One wonders how life would have been for Paul but for Barnabas. We need people like Barnabas to support, encourage, and believe in us. We need people who see potential in us and will not judge us for the one mistake we may have made in the past. Barnabas showed himself an honest Christian in the way he treated Paul. He saw that Paul was made in the image and likeness of God; therefore, he should be redeemed and not condemned. He believed in the best in others. While others saw Paul as a spy, Barnabas saw him as an asset, an instrument to bring the Gospel of Christ to the Gentiles. How wonderful would our world be if we had more people like Barnabas? Those who are not afraid of people are not suspicious and cynical but who see themselves in everyone and try to help others succeed. These Hard Men are good to find.

4.     William Barclay tells us that, “The world is largely divided into those who think the best of others and those who think the worst; and it is one of the curious facts of life that ordinarily we see our reflection in others and make them what we believe them to be. If we insist on regarding a man with suspicion, we will end by making him do suspicious things. If we insist on believing in a man, we will end by compelling him to justify that belief.” We must be like Jesus in treating others, especially those who do not look, think, and talk like us. Barnabas was that man. Like Jesus, he did not allow someone’s past to influence his judgment against him. A person should not be condemned forever just because he once made a mistake. In a baseball game, the rule is three strikes, and you are out. We can apply the same rule to how we treat those who have wronged us, knowing that Christ tells us to make it up to seventy-seven times. (Matt. 18:22). For “If you, O Lord, should make our guilt, Lord, who would survive.” (Ps. 130:3). Never condemn someone because he had committed an offense once. There is still room for change if we allow him to do so.

5.     The early Christian community that produced a man of character like Barnabas “Were of one heart and mine, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.” (Acts. 4:36-37). Their faith was rooted in Christ. Christ is the vine, and every Christian is a branch. We must be one with Christ and must grow in Him. If we do not, we become a withered, rejected branch that is dead and is suitable for nothing. When we are together in Christ, we bear fruit. St. John made this point in the second reading. When we get together and are united in Christ and with one another, we live a life of truth, love, and peace. God relates with us in love, and with love, we must “Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.” (Eph. 4:32). Let us pray that we may be Barnabas to one another. With people like Barnabas, our world will be a better place. In this place, no one will be suspicious of others, where violence and hatred will give way to forgiveness, tolerance, and love, where we will see the image of God in one another and so treat them as we would Christ, in love. May we treat others as we would want them to treat us! For a hard man, it is good indeed to find. God knows we need those hard men in our lives today more than ever. Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP