ever you hear a man say that you may know that there is at least
one man who does have his price, and that is the man who is making the
statement. You can compromise till you come to persuade yourself that
compromise is the law of life. You can play with honesty till you come
to believe in the dishonesty of the whole world. And the man without
confidence in his brother is a man who personally knows that he himself
would not do to trust.

Barnabas believed in men. One of the greatest enemies that the Church
ever had returned one day from a tour of persecution in Damascus. He
declared that he had been converted on the way, but nobody in Jerusalem
believed him. Yes, there was one glorious exception. That exception
was Barnabas. He believed in Paul, staked his reputation, his life,
his Church, which was dearer to him than his life,--he staked all these
upon his faith in Paul's sincerity. But for that, Paul might have been
lost to the Church.

And here is another instance: Paul and Barnabas are on their first
missionary tour. With them is a young man named Mark. He has been
tenderly nurtured. He finds the missionary life harder than he
expected. He proves a coward and goes home. Years after, when the
faces of Paul and Barnabas are again set to the battle front, Mark once
more offers his service. But Paul will not accept him. He knows that
the mission field is no place for parlor soldiers. And so he flatly
refuses to allow him to become a part of the army of invasion.

But Barnabas,--somehow he cannot bring himself to give him up. He
believes that even if a man failed once he may succeed at a second
trial. He believes that a coward may become a hero, that a deserter
may yet become a trusted and faithful soldier. And so he stands by
John Mark even at the great price of parting company with Paul. And
his confidence was gloriously justified, as our confidence so often is.
Who wrote the second Gospel--one of the choicest pieces of literature
in the world? It was written by John Mark, the deserter.

Then years later, when bitter days of persecution have come, Paul is in
prison. He especially needs men about him now on whose loyal courage
and devotion he can count absolutely. For whom does he now ask?
Listen! "Take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me
for the ministry." Mark has come back. He has been saved to Christ
and to the Church. And the one to whom we are mainly indebted for