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REACHING OUT TO OUR BUDDY IN ENEMY-HELD TERRITORY!

As a boy he grew up in the First Baptist Church of Jerusalem. His mother, as anyone in Jerusalem could tell you, was a prominent member of the church. His cousin Barnabas, who was a good man filled with the Holy Spirit, also attended First Baptist and had donated the proceeds of a real estate transaction to the church. So he was one of those kids who enjoyed being coddled by a congregation who knew he was well-connected to a leading family within the congregation.

He was also one of those kids cursed with the high expectations the congregation had of him. He wasn’t a “P K,” a Preacher’s Kid, but his cousin chaired the an important committee and the church often met in his mother’s home. So people had high expectations of him as one of the future leaders of the church.

So it is not surprising that when Barnabas and Paul were set aside by the church in Antioch for what would become the first missionary journey John Mark tagged along as their helper. He had a bright future and this historic venture into parts unknown would enhance his abilities to serve the church. It would be good for him, and he would be of some help to the church’s first missionaries.

But, it wasn’t long before the enemy struck its first blow. Whether it was seasickness, the opposition encountered on the island of Cyprus, an uneasiness with Paul’s leadership style, or the fact that he was just a tag-along no one knows for Scripture doesn’t tell us what happened to John Mark. But, after the team landed in Perga on the southern edge of what we now know as Turkey, this young man quit. He left the team and went home. He deserted Paul and Barnabas and returned to Jerusalem. Somehow, with all the accuracy of a sniper, Satan had managed to take John Mark out of the picture.

Two years later, when Paul and Barnabas began planning a second missionary journey, John Mark’s name was raised as a possible team member. In a flash, Paul raised his voice and said, “Absolutely not, the boy is a quitter! He deserted us last time and I won’t put up with him a second time.”

Barnabas disagreed and held his ground against Paul’s bitterness toward John Mark. He urged Paul to give his cousin a second chance, but Paul refused to hear of it. In the end, the two agreed to
disagree. So Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus. While Paul chose to go his way with a young man by the name of Silas.
Sniper fire, conflict, friendly fire, casualties – such is the nature of warfare. It is for this reason that Jude tells us:
22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear – hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

Or, as Eugene Peterson puts it in his paraphrase of the New Testament, The Message:
Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith. Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven.

In short, we’re to reach out to our buddy. We’re to rescue the war-torn. For Barnabas this was an easy thing to do for he had been given the gift of encouragement. First Baptist in Jerusalem recognized this gift and sent Barnabas to Antioch to help the church that had sprung up due to those who had been scattered. Shortly after he arrived, prompted by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas recruited Saul for the work in Antioch. He actually traveled one-hundred plus miles over land and sea to Tarsus so as to find Saul. He then persuaded him to come to Antioch to teach the Discovery Series to all those who had come to faith in Christ Jesus.

So it is not surprising that he was willing to give his cousin a second chance. It was in his nature, his supernatural nature, to encourage those who were, for whatever reasons, down and out. For some, their buddy list is as long as their arm. These gifted souls have a deep understanding of the fact that mercy is the heart of God while grace is the hand of God.

And yes, Paul eventually came to see that Barnabas was right in giving John Mark a second chance. Fifteen to twenty years later, Paul’s traveling days were curtailed by first one prison cell and then another. He now had to rely on his writing skills and his colleagues in the ministry. And, it is interesting to note that John Mark was one of those colleagues. For in the companion letter to Ephesians, the letter of Colossians, we read:
My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) 4:10

And, in II Timothy 4:11 - 13 where Paul was near to checking out, he wrote:
Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.
Early on, it appeared that John Mark had squandered his potential by deserting his colleagues on that first missionary journey. But Barnabas reach out and grabbed him before he sank into oblivion. He gave his cousin a second chance and John Mark became useful in the ministry. He even penned the gospel that bears his name!

You see, the author of Ecclesiastes was correct when he said:
“ Anyone who is among the living has hope – even a live dog is better off than a dead lion.” 9:4
True, but on occasion, we need someone like a Barnabas in our life. Paul knew this, or perhaps had learned this, and so at the end of Ephesians we read:
21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
23 Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love or Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

We know from the book of Acts that Tychicus was from the province of Asia. Some, trying to pin down his hometown, believe he was from Ephesus but that is just a guess on their part. Nevertheless, Tychicus was well-informed as to the dynamics within the Ephesian church and the believers were probably well acquainted with him even before this letter was delivered to them.

So here, in Ephesians we see Paul sending him to Ephesus. His purpose was to deliver this letter, the letter to the Colossians, and a letter to the Laodiceans. The latter letter, of course, has been lost to antiquity. But, he was also sent to Ephesus to be of encouragement to the believers.

A few years later Paul was ready to send this same individual to Titus on the island of Crete, evidently to encourage him in his ministry. And, as we have already noted in II Timothy, as Paul was about to check out he sent Tychicus to Ephesus once again, presumably for the purpose of encouragement.

I don’t know whether or not Tychicus had the gift of encouragement. I do know that he was available to do whatever Paul needed him to do at the moment. If Paul told him to go help Titus, he packed his bags and did as requested. And, when Paul was concerned about the Ephesians he turned to Tychicus and knew he was not only available but willing to do whatever was asked of him.

But whether Tychicus had the gift of encouragement or not is secondary to the fact that he was willing and available to do whatever was asked of him. He was called upon, by Paul, to encourage others. If he didn’t have the gift, as say Barnabas, Paul must have at least recognized his ability to function in this area. Additionally, Paul recognized how important it was for someone, anyone, to encourage others to continue trusting in God.

It was the famed actress Celeste Holm who said, “We live by encouragement and die without it – slowly, sadly, and angrily.”
In like manner, Mark Twain observed, “I can live off one good compliment for a week!”

And a Japanese proverb says, “One kind word can warm three winter months.” While our own book of Proverbs says,
“ An anxious heart weights a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” 12:24
For the fact is, people are impacted for good or ill by the presence or absence of encouragement. And while you and I may not be gifted in this area, we are called upon to function in it.

We can encourage others by:
– Urging each other to be obedient to the Word.
– Comforting one another in a time of need.
– Loving those who have sinned or failed.
– Reminding one another of our future hope.
– Expressing praise for spiritual growth.

You see, our lives can be characterized by the attitude of a girl by the name of Jamie Scott. Jamie, as a second-grader was trying out for a part in the school play. Her mother, as any mother would be, was fearful that she would not be chosen to be in it.
Then, on that great and terrible day when those who had been chosen to be in the play were to be announced, Jamie’s mother and a friend came to school soon after the tryouts had ended. When Jamie spotted them she rushed up brimming with joy and pride. “Mom, guess what! I’ve been chosen to clap and cheer!”

Whether we have the gift of encouragement or not, you and I have been chosen to “clap and cheer” for those around us. We may not be a Barnabas, but we can be a Tychicus. We can be a Tychicus by simply making ourselves available to however God wants to use us each day.

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