Have you ever had an encounter with someone – whether that be with a friend, family member, coworker, classmate – where you just felt really encouraged? Like someone breathed new life into you? That’s kind of what Paul and Barnabas are doing in this reading from the Acts of the Apostles. After traveling, preaching, and experiencing many challenges, they go back to visit the communities that they had already evangelized. And they did it not to build up themselves or to receive admiration, but they did it to strengthen the spirits of the Christians within those communities.
Look at what Paul and Barnabas say. They tell their fellow Christians: “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”
Think about that line for moment. It’s not exactly a slogan that is going to get many people thinking about becoming Christian or, in this case, staying Christian. They didn’t say: “Follow Jesus and everything will go smoothly.” They said: “Prepare for hardship – but it’s worth it.”
That should make us ask ourselves an important question: What kind of encouragement am I really looking for in my faith?
So often, we seek a faith that comforts but doesn’t challenge. A faith that affirms but doesn’t transform, doesn’t lead to conversion. But the early Church didn’t have the luxury of that kind of Christianity. If we look at their experiences, their faith was born in fire; it came to life because of rejection; it deepened after public opposition. We see that because of those experiences, the Church grew. But the early Christians still needed to be encouraged.
Paul and Barnabas go back to these small communities to say: Don’t give up. Stay the course. This path is hard – but it leads to glory.
And something more significant, they weren’t doing this on their own strength They weren’t doing it under their own abilities. Our first reading tells us: “They reported what God had done with them and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.”
Notice it says God worked with them – it doesn’t say just through them. That makes us realize that Paul and Barnabas weren’t passive instruments. They were co-workers in the mission. God was the source, yes, but they had to show up. They had to preach. They had to suffer. They had to love.
So, here’s something we should think about: What has God done with us lately? Not just for us – but with us. Have we allowed Him to work with us in a difficult conversation? In a challenging family situation? In the way we show up for someone who’s grieving? In how we forgive someone who hasn’t asked for it or someone who doesn’t necessarily deserve it?
The Kingdom of God isn’t built by someone who sits on the sidelines. It’s built by those who are active in our faith, those who embrace discipleship, those who seek to follow Jesus with our whole hearts, those who stay in the fight. It’s built by those who let God work with them, especially when the path forward is filled with hardship and uncertainty.
As I was praying about this reading this week, I thought of kind of an interesting example. Many of you know that I like going to the gym quite a bit. Paul and Barnabas remind me of my trainer. Whenever I feel like not pushing my hardest or I feel like not going to the gym or giving up on the nutrition piece, Dakota, my trainer is the one who pushes me, who encourages me to keep moving forward. He tells me constantly: “No pain, no gain.” In essence, that’s what Paul and Barnabas are doing…they are spiritual endurance coaches. They didn’t remove the obstacles or make the road easier. Instead, they walked alongside their communities; they shared in the struggle with them; they built them up, encouraging them to: “Keep going! Don’t stop! The end result is going to be worth it!”
In some way, all of us need those coaches in our lives, those people who spur us on to continue walking the way of discipleship. That’s why community is so important. We are the ones called to build each other up, to be the Paul and Barnabas for the person who might be sitting next to us in the pew. The Lord is inviting every single one of us to be that coach for someone else.
Maybe we have someone in our life who needs us to say, “Don’t give up. Stay the course.” Maybe someone we love is tempted to walk away – from the Church, from God, from their marriage, from their ministry. What if we are the ones called to be their Paul or Barnabas and strengthen their spirit?
I’ll end with this: Christianity is not a spectator sport. It’s not always the safe bet. It’s not convenient or the most comfortable path. But it does lead to glory. And it is worth every hardship if we let God work with us – if we stay in the fight – if we help each other persevere.
So, this week, think of one person we can encourage in their faith. Just one. Call them, write them, send them a text, pray with them. Be their Paul. Be their Barnabas. And let God do something great with you.
Photo: Paul and Barnabas at Lystra by Jacob Pynas. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Used under Open Access Policy, CC0. Wikimedia Commons.
Fr. Tom Pringle 
