Saint Barnabas, Apostle

The Beatitudes are Jesus’ charter for the Christian Life.  The Beatitudes do not replace the Ten Commandments, but they are revealed to propel us into a life of true blessedness.  The rich man leaves Jesus in sadness when he finds himself unable to let go of his wealth, even though he kept all the commandments.  He sought perfection, “what must I do to be perfect,” but had an ill-conceived notion of what perfection is.  He thought higher perfection would win him more esteem in the eyes of men, he thought perhaps that he was already pretty close to perfection because he avoided grave sin.  When Jesus invites him to “go and sell all that you have, give to the poor and then come and follow me and you will have treasure in heaven” He reveals that becoming perfect means becoming truly happy, truly blessed, truly free.  Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

If your heart is pure, you will see God.  This sight is far more blessed than any amount of wealth or pleasure in this world.  The desire to see God becomes the motivation to eradicate from our hearts every root of sin and evil.  God’s forgiveness is at the beginning of this process, and to the extent that we have tasted the sweetness of His mercy we strive to keep our heart pure.  This is not a commandment, it is an invitation to divine life and love – to true peace and happiness.  The Christian’s first struggle is not to maintain the appearance of perfection for themselves or set the example for others.  The Christian’s first struggle is to keep their heart free and pure so that, looking upon the face of Jesus written in their heart, they may be lovingly released from the trappings of this life.

CHRYSOSTOM:

“News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.” When such a great city was receiving the word, why did they not go themselves? Because of the Jews. But they sent Barnabas. Only it was no small part, and so it was providentially arranged for Paul to go there as well. It was both natural and providential that they turned him [toward Antioch] and that he was not shut up in Jerusalem, that voice of the gospel, that trumpet of heaven. Do you see how on all occasions Christ uses their faults to serve a need for the benefit of the church?¹

CHRYSOSTOM:

The more insignificant they were, the brighter the grace working great results by small means. “And he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord, for he was a good man.” I think by “good” here he means a kind, unaffected person, very much eager for the salvation of his neighbors. “For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” “With steadfast purpose,” he says. With encomium and praise, for, like rich land, this city received the word and brought forth much fruit.³

JEROME:

The Lord went up the mountain that he might bring the crowds with him to higher things. The crowds were unable to go up, however, and he was followed by the disciples to whom he spoke, not standing but sitting together. For they were unable to understand this brilliant man in his majesty. Many of the simple believers literally believed that he taught the Beatitudes and other things on the Mount of Olives, but this is not really true.1 From the events that went before and followed, the place in Galilee has been shown to be what we believe is either Mount Tabor or some other high mountain. After he finished speaking, the Evangelist says, “Now when he had entered Capernaum.” ⁴

AUGUSTINE:

If we ask what the mountain signifies, it is rightly understood to point toward the gospel’s higher righteousness. The precepts given to the Hebrews were lower. Yet, through his holy prophets and servants and in accordance with a most orderly arrangement of circumstance, the same God gave the lower precepts to a people to whom it was fitting to be bound by fear. Through his Son he gave the higher precepts to a people to whom it is fitting to be set free by love.⁵

ANONYMOUS:

The one who teaches must himself be an example of his words, so he may teach more by his works than his words, as the apostle says to Timothy: “Set the believers an example.”6 The one who walks in the valley of earthly life, however, treads on obscure pathways and speaks high-flown words: He does not teach anyone but chastens himself. For no one can stand in the valley and speak from a mountain. Speak from where you take your stand. Take your stand from where you are speaking.⁶

CHRYSOSTOM:

And for what reason is the clause added, “He opened his mouth”? To inform you that in his very silence he gave instruction, and not only when he spoke. At one time he taught by “opening his mouth,” while at another by the works that he did. But when you hear that he taught them, do not think of him as discussing matters with his disciples only, but rather with the entire group through his teaching to them. For since the crowd was just like any crowd always is, including as it did those who live on a very low level, he withdrew the group of his disciples and addressed his teaching to them, but in his conversation with them he also provided for the rest, who were at this point very far from being ready to hear his sayings on self-denial without being offended.⁷

ANONYMOUS:

Only one who has repented and become like a child is poor in spirit. ⁸

CHROMATIUS:

Some, having no worldly resources, continue to sin and remain without faith in God. Clearly we cannot call these people blessed. We must inquire just who are these blessed of whom the Lord says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus means that those persons are truly blessed who, having spurned the riches and resources of the world to become rich in God, desire to be poor in the world.⁹

JEROME:

For he added “in spirit” so you would understand blessedness to be humility and not poverty. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” who on account of the Holy Spirit are poor by willing freely to be so. Hence, concerning this type of poor, the Savior also speaks through Isaiah: “The Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor.”¹⁰

ANONYMOUS:

Even as the road to hell is lined with all the vices, and especially pride, all the virtues lead toward the kingdom of heaven, and especially humility. For the root of all evil is pride, and the root of all good is humility.¹¹

JEROME:

Also Paul the apostle says that he wept and mourned over those who, after committing fornication and impure deeds, did not feel the need of repentance.¹²

CHROMATIUS:

The blessed of whom he speaks are not those bereaving the death of a spouse or the loss of cherished servants. Rather, he is speaking of those blessed persons who … do not cease to mourn over the iniquity of the world or the offenses of sinners with a pious, duty-bound sentiment.¹³

ANONYMOUS:

Those who mourn their own sins are indeed blessed, but blessed in a less wonderful way than those who mourn the sins of others. Those who mourn the sins of others are less likely to have sins of their own to mourn. These are the ones who should be called teachers. They are with the Lord on the mountain.¹⁴

The meek one is more content to endure an offense than to commit one. For unless one is unafraid of being offended, one cannot be without sin. For even as weeds are never lacking in a field, provokers are never lacking in the world. Therefore that person is truly gentle who, when he or she has been offended, neither does evil nor even thinks of doing it.¹⁵

AUGUSTINE:

The meek are those who submit to wickedness and do not resist evil but overcome evil with good. Let the haughty therefore quarrel and contend for earthly and temporal things. But “blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the land.” This is the land from which they cannot be expelled.¹⁶

CHRYSOSTOM:

Note how drastically he expresses it. For Jesus does not say, “Blessed are those who cling to righteousness,” but “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness”—not in a superficial way but pursuing it with their entire desire. By contrast, the most characteristic feature of covetousness is a strong desire with which we are not so hungry for food and drink as for more and more things. Jesus urged us to transfer this desire to a new object, freedom from covetousness.¹⁷

ANONYMOUS:

Whoever hungers for righteousness wants to live actively according to God’s righteousness; this is proper for the person with a good heart. One who thirsts for righteousness wants to acquire the knowledge of God that one can gain only by studying the Scriptures. This is fitting for the person with an attentive heart. “For they shall be satisfied.” They are filled with the abundance of God’s reward. Greater are the rewards of God than even the most avid desires of the saints.¹⁸

CHRYSOSTOM:

Human mercy and God’s mercy are not the same thing. As wide as the interval is between corrupted and perfect goodness, so far is human mercy distinguished from divine mercy.¹⁹

AUGUSTINE:

As you treat your beggar, so will God treat his. You who are empty are being filled. Out of your fullness fill an empty person in need, so that your own emptiness may be again filled by the fullness of God.²⁰

1. HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 25.  Martin, F., & Smith, E. (Eds.). (2006). Acts (p. 147). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
3. HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 25.  Martin, F., & Smith, E. (Eds.). (2006). Acts (p. 147). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

   CHRYSOSTOM:

   But consider the authority of the Holy Ghost. “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul.’ ” What being, unless of the same authority, would have dared to say this? And this happened so that they should not remain together among themselves. The Spirit saw that they had greater power and could be sufficient for many.²HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 27.  Martin, F., & Smith, E. (Eds.). (2006). Acts (p. 158). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

4. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 1.5.1.  Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 77). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
5. SERMON ON THE MOUNT 1.1.2.  Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (pp. 77–78). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
6. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 9.  Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 78). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
7. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 15.1.  Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (pp. 78–79). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
8. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 9.  Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 81). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
9. TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 17.2.1-2.  Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 81). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
10. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 1.5.3.  Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 81). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
11. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 9.  Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 81). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
12. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 1.5.4.  Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 82). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
13. TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 17.3.1-2.  Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 82). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
14. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 9.  Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 82). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
15. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 9.  Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 83). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
16. SERMON ON THE MOUNT 1.2.4.  Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 83). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
17. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 15.4.  Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 84). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
18. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 9.  Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (pp. 84–85). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
19. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 15.4.  Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 85). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
20. SERMON 53.5.  Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (pp. 85–86). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.