his
salvation is none other than the good man Barnabas. And Barnabas won
because of his sturdy, persistent faith.

Now to some this virtue may seem a bit of a weakness, but if weakness,
how like it is to the weakness of Christ Himself! For certainly one of
the most marvelous characteristics of Jesus is His faith in men. How
Jesus could expect that the poor slattern who was dragged into His
presence taken in adultery could be utterly different from that hour, I
do not know. I certainly would not have expected it of her, but He
did. And I hear Him saying to her, "Go and sin no more." How Jesus
could expect that twelve faulty, unlearned, self-seeking men, such as
His disciples were, would ever be the means of remaking the world, I
cannot for a moment see. They failed Him in His hour of supremest
need. They slept in the garden and ran like frightened sheep when He
was arrested. And yet, knowing their cowardice and their weakness, He
tumbles the responsibility of world conquest upon their frail shoulders
with the declaration that "the gates of hell should not prevail against
them." Certainly the wildest faith that was ever exercised is the
faith that God exercises in men. And the faith of this man Barnabas
was a quality born of a goodness that was close akin to the goodness of
God.

That is the way, I think, that this man got his name. You know they
did not always call him Barnabas. The folks over in Cypress knew him
as Joses. They named him Barnabas because that was the word that best
described him. It was a verbal picture of the man. What does it mean?
A son of consolation. Isn't that fine? James and John were called the
sons of thunder. That speaks of power, might, dash, the lightning's
flash, the thunder's crash. There is storm wrapped up in their
personalities. But Barnabas is the peaceful sunset after the storm.
He is the light at eventide. He is a son of consolation.

Now, if there is anything finer than that I do not know just what that
something might be. To be incarnated encouragement, embodied comfort,
flesh and blood consolation,--it would be hard to find a better
vocation than that. This man had the tongue of the learned that he
might be able to speak a word in season to him that was weary. He
delivered men from the bondage of their self-despisings, from the
burden of their self-contempt. He brought hope where there had been
despair and turned the westward gaze toward the east. He