Judging Others: Paul & Barnabas

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Judge, not that you be not judged Matthew seven, One, Heavenly Father, as we approach you to day, humbly reflecting on the caution in Matthew seven. In this command, you remind us of our fallibility and a grace that you have generously bestowed upon each of us despite our imperfections. Give us reflective hearts to see our own shortcomings so that we may have grace for others. Instill in us a spirit of humility and discernment. Help us remember that we too need mercy, and guide us to extend that same mercy to others. Open our eyes to the biases and prejudices that may cloud our judgment. Teach us to see others as you see them, created in your image, worthy of love and forgiveness. Give us the wisdom to understand the difference between righteous judgment and critical condemnation. Teach us the art of gentle correction and guidance, rooted in love and in desire for mutual growth and faith. May our words and actions encourage and uplift rather than be little or demean In moments when judgment arises in our hearts, remind us of your mercy that covers our sense. Let us be known not for our judgment of others, but for our love and grace that reflect your heart. In the name of Jesus, who shows us perfect love and mercy, we pray Amen. Thank you for praying with me today. You're listening to the Jesus Podcast. Remain here for a story about subtle judgment and an unwillingness to forgive. If this podcast has blessed you, we'd love it if you left a review and shared it with a friend. It was time to dig deeper. Jesus planted his feet firmly in the dirt, inhaled deeply, and let out a decree that would echo throughout the ages. 00:02:45 Speaker 2: Don't judge others, unless, of course, you want to be judged yourselves. You will be judged with the same judgment you pronounce on others. Why do you obsess over the speck in your brother's eye when you've got a whole lot dog stuck in your own? How in good conscience could you go to your friend and say, let me get the speck out of your eye, all the while there's half a tree lodged under your brow. 00:03:10 Speaker 1: The people laughed at the thought of it, but the point landed, Jesus rose his arms in earnest encouragement. 00:03:18 Speaker 2: Hypocrites, First take the log out of your own eyes so you can see clearly. Then with clever vision, you can help your brother. 00:03:30 Speaker 3: Are you in pain after walking, running, or even just standing, It's not your feet, it's your shoes. This summer, switched to Gediphi shoes with patentive Verso shock technology, which aligns your body, provides superior shock absorption and trampoline like energy return. Gediphi offers souls and styles for any activity, plus two free orthotics. 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This passage addresses the importance of not judging others and the necessity of self examination before criticizing others. Will connect this teaching to the story of Paul and Barnabas, separating in Acts chapter fifteen, Verses thirty six through thirty nine. We'll explore how Paul's judgmental attitude towards John Mark led to a division between him and Barnabas, and how it serves as a lesson for us to extend grace rather than judgment. 00:05:34 Speaker 1: Paul's body was in Antioch, but his spirit yearned to be elsewhere. The call of God's spirit was an inner burning within him, a fire that desired to consume everything in its way. He gazed out his window at the snowy mountain range. Melting away, the chill of winter gave way the mild heat of spring. Apricot trees bloomed and white petals danced in the breeze. With the rising of spring came the call to adventure, and Paul was ready to be on the move again. His heart yearned to revisit the Galatians. He feared his scathing letter had perhaps landed on death and defiant ears. He wanted to be with them, see their faces, and remind them of Christ's love and power. He left his home down the road to see Barnabas. Barnabas was sitting at the table with his nephew, John Mark. When he opened the door. The young man flinched when Paul entered the room and stood at attention. John Mark had abandoned to Paul and Barnabas on the road to Paul pretended to ignore John Mark and greeted Barnabas. He had outwardly forgiven the boy, but Paul certainly didn't trust him, which made the following conversation all the more difficult. He sat down and leaned over with his hands on the table. 00:07:21 Speaker 5: Barnabas, I feel stirred up for another adventure. Ha ha, I think it's time to return to Galatia. I feel compelled to return and remind them of the gospel. 00:07:34 Speaker 1: Barnabas poured Paul a cup and sat down beside John Mark. In the typical Barnabas fashion, he leaned back and pondered before speaking. Barnabas was more thoughtful than Paul, making him the ideal partner. Paul was intuitive, passionate, and willing to jump into any situation. Barnabas was slow to speak, calculated and tempered with every decision he made. Barnabas stroked his beard and took a sip of his cup. He traced his finger against an imperfection on the table and murmured. 00:08:19 Speaker 6: The Galatians made the mistake by allowing the Judaizers to corrupt their minds. I think it's best we remind them there is always a second chance for those who rely on the grace of Jesus. 00:08:32 Speaker 1: Paul smiled with excitement, but Barnabas wasn't finished. He looked up from the table and gestured to his nephew. 00:08:41 Speaker 6: I think it would be fitting to give John Mark a second chance as well. 00:08:45 Speaker 1: Paul's smiled swiftly flipped upside down, and he gave Mark a piercing glare. He looked back at Barnabas with annoyance. 00:08:55 Speaker 5: Absolutely not. 00:08:56 Speaker 1: Barnabas didn't flinch. He calmly turned to his nephew and spoke, calmly, would. 00:09:02 Speaker 6: You excuse us, john Mark? I think there are things Paul and I need to discuss. 00:09:08 Speaker 1: John Mark's countenance was low. He left the room with his head turned downwards. Barnabas waited for him to leave before looking back at Paul. Paul, don't you think he deserves a second chance. 00:09:24 Speaker 5: We almost died, Barnabas, he left us when we needed him most. I've counted the cost of following Jesus, but his cowardice endangered us. I can't trust him. That journey nearly killed us, and it would not have been so if he had stayed with us. 00:09:42 Speaker 6: Precisely my point. Let's have him join us this time so we can escape similar peril. No, I'll call for silas he's trustworthy. I don't trust Mark Barnabas. He is my flesh and blood. 00:09:57 Speaker 5: Paul, there is no flesh in blood any more, Barnabas, there are brothers in Christ. 00:10:03 Speaker 6: No longer do we save it. I've heard it already. You are missing declaring point right in front of. 00:10:11 Speaker 1: You, Paul demurred. He was growing increasingly annoyed at Barnabas. The young man's desertion left a mark on Paul. He would not get over it so quickly. 00:10:24 Speaker 5: Hardships, disappointments, and opportunities lay ahead of us. I cannot have the mission sabotaged by his weakness. We need a reliable team of people we can count on. 00:10:37 Speaker 6: Peter has counted on him, as have you at times. Do not forget how he has helped you in the past. Does one sin exclude him from the mission of Christ? 00:10:48 Speaker 1: Of course not, Paul snapped. He didn't appreciate the accusation of being ungracious. 00:10:55 Speaker 5: John Mark is free to preach to whommeever he pleases, and travel wherever the Lord leads him, just not with me, I refuse. 00:11:03 Speaker 1: It wasn't uncommon for Paul to get angry, but it was certainly unusual for Barnabas to show any anger, which made his outburst all the more terrifying. He stood up from his seat and pointed. 00:11:17 Speaker 6: At him, You're a hypocrite. Paul, you being an apostle does not make you a judge. 00:11:23 Speaker 1: Paul didn't take Barnabas outburst as a sign to step down. Rather, he stood up and yelled. 00:11:30 Speaker 5: I'm not presiding over him as a judge. I am drawing a line in the sand for myself. He will not travel with me. If you see it necessary to partner with him, we can go our separate ways. 00:11:45 Speaker 1: Paul admittedly was surprised at the words coming out of his mouth. It was not the spirit of God that was compelling him. These men were in the flesh, and neither were willing to waver. Barnaba scoffed and shook his head. 00:12:03 Speaker 6: Your ultimatum is childish. You can't see the log in your own eye. I seem to remember meeting a man trudging through the streets of Jerusalem in need of a second chance. I stood up for him when everybody else was too afraid to let him in. 00:12:23 Speaker 1: Paul stormed off without a goodbye and slammed the door behind him. He marched back up the path to his home, fuming with rage. Building a brotherhood took years, and breaking it took moments. Paul was too angry to realize his heart was just broken. He refused to turn back and apologize. He refused to look inward at his own sin. Because of this, Paul couldn't see that he was refusing to give John Mark the same passion and grace that Barnabas once showed him. If anybody had proven themselves untrustworthy, it was Saul the Pharisee. But Barnabas gave him a second chance and took him in. Paul's refusal to provide grace to John Mark was proof of how far he had to go. Paul was an apostle appointed by God and a pillar of christ Church, but he was far perfect. Luckily, Paul wasn't the head of the church but Jesus Christ. As Paul packed his belongings a tinge of conviction poked at his arm. He would eventually come to reconcile with Barnabas, but for the time being, God would lead them down different paths for his clom. Even amid man's imperfection, God's spirit was at work. Barnabas and John Mark embarked on their own journey to Cyprus, while Paul set his sights on Syria and Cilicia. 00:14:21 Speaker 4: Do not judge or you too will be judged for in the same way you judge others. You will be judged. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, let me take the speck out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own eye, You hypocrite. First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Jesus warns us against judging others, reminding us that the same standard we use to judge will be applied to us. He calls us to examine our own faults before criticizing others, emphasizing the importance of humility and self awareness. The dramatized story we gave of Paul and Barnabas separating provides a powerful illustration of the consequences of judgmental attitudes and of the failure to extend grace. After their successful missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas planned to revisit the believers in every town where they had preached. However, a sharp disagreement arose over whether to take John Mark with them. In Acts, Chapter fifteen, verses thirty six through thirty nine, we read some time later, Paul said to Barnabas, let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord, and see how they're doing. Barnabas wanted to take John also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him because he had deserted them in Pamphilia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took more and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. Paul judged John Mark for his past mistake of deserting them in Pamphylia, and he was unwilling to give him a second chance. This judgmental attitude led to a sharp disagreement with Barnabas, who wanted to give John Mark another opportunity. This division is particularly striking because Barnabas had previously advocated for Paul when others were skeptical of his conversion. Barnabas extended grace to Paul, but now Paul was not willing to extend the same grace to John Mark. Paul's unwillingness to forgive John Mark highlights the hypocrisy that Jesus warns about. Paul, who had experienced immense grace and acceptance from Barnabas, was now unwilling to extend that same grace to someone else. We must recognize our own need for grace and be willing to extend it to others, avoiding the hypocrisy of holding others to standards we we ourselves struggle to meet. The disagreement between Paul and Barnabas led to their separation, which could have been avoided if Paul had shown more grace. Judgment and unforgiveness can lead to divisions and broken relationships. When we judge others harshly, we not only harm those relationships, but also create an environment of mistrust and resentment. Barnabas's desire to give John Mark a second chance underscores the importance of forgiveness and restoration. Everyone makes mistakes, and we all need the opportunity to learn and grow from them. By offering second chances, we reflect God's grace and help others reach their potential. Jesus calls us to love and support one another even when we make mistakes. Reflecting Christ's love means being patient, kind, and forgiving. It means seeing the potential for growth in others and being willing to walk alongside them in their journey. What are some practical applications for us today. First, we must develop the habit of self examination before criticizing or judging others, take time to examine your own heart and actions. Recognize your own need for grace and forgiveness. Ask yourself if you're holding others to a higher standard than you hold yourself. Next, be willing to extend grace to others, especially when they've made mistakes. Remember the grace you've received from God and from others. By showing grace, you build bridges of understanding and support. Next, like Barnabas, be an encourager in support to those who need a second chance. Offer help, guidance, and affirmation to those who are struggling or who have failed. Your support can make a significant difference in their lives. Finally, foster unity, strive to foster unity and reconciliation in your relationships. Avoid letting disagreements and judgments lead to division, Seek common ground, and work towards healing and understanding. As we reflect on Jesus' words in Matthew chapter seven, Verses one through six, and the story of Paul and Barnabas, let us be reminded of the importance of extending grace and avoiding judgment. May we strive to examine our own hearts, offer second chances, and reflect Christ's love in all our relationships. Let us pray for the grace and the wisdom to be true citizens of Heaven, living out the humility and compassion that Jesus calls us to. Thanks again for listening to the Jesus Podcast. 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