Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke...
On the second day of Christmas, still filled with the grace and power of the joyous occasion of Christ's birth, a savior who reigns with the authority of righteousness, we are faced with the stark reality of the cost of serving Christ.
December 26 is the feast day of St. Stephen, the proto-martyr in Christianity. Stephen is the first Christian martyr to willingly face death of the flesh rather than revoke his eternal adoption into Christ's heavenly kingdom. Stephen is an example for us all to follow, in how he lived on earth and his trust in the promised salvation that Christ bought for us on the cross.
Precious little is known about the early life of St. Stephen. It is widely believed that he was a Hellenistic Jew. What we know about Stephen comes primarily from Acts of the Apostles. In Chapter 6: 1-6, we learn that there is disparity in almsgiving which is leaving many in need lacking. A group of seven was chosen to serve Christ by first ensuring that the needs of the poor and sick were taken care of as well as spreading the Gospel of Christ. Stephen was one of the seven appoint, described as a man "full of faith and the Holy Spirit."
"Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people." 6: 8
This statement gives us insight into Stephen's faith and trust in God, the power of the Holy Spirit guiding him and the power of grace by Christ giving him a sure faith and a dedication to bear the fruits of Christ - serving the lesser and loving our neighbors (even our enemies) as ourselves. He was active in Christian ministry with bold conviction and humble service to Christ.
"Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated some men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God."
The passage that speaks to me in these verses is "They could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke." How often do we as humans, push back truth. We allow cynicism and unbelief to block our ability to trust the discernment that God gives us the Holy Spirit. We would rather judge the other as strange, than be open to the power, grace and wisdom of the Spirit. We are all guilty of this, particularly when the Truth slaps us in inconvenient ways. This often occurs at Christmas, in the very heart of the season when the Holy Spirit should be kindling a sustaining fire of Christian invocation within us.
We get caught up in things - gifts purchased from stores, angry if we didn't get the right gift, arguing with friends and family, ignoring those in need because we are so focused on our own desires we forsake the other. Instead of heeding the truth we push back, we debate, we say 'blasphemy' or use the Bible for our own brand of Christianity - not Christ's instruction. Instead of being filled by the power of the spirit and all cleansing grace of Christ we rely on our own understand, not trusting and leaning on God's truth and instruction. Many will actually argue their hate, greed, selfishness under the guise of faith, because they have lost sight of what being a Christian is about. Stephen called people out of that darkness and challenged worldly values with the life giving power and mercy of Christ. He did not shy from his calling. He allowed the Spirit to work through him. Stephen admonished the folly of his generation, with the power of the Spirit and Christ's grace. Yet even in the admonishing challenge, Stephen continued to pray for his enemies and those who went against him. Stephen saw that they were so closed off to love and truth, tied up in their own chains of the flesh they needed Christ and prayed even as he was dying that they might be forgiven. Righteousness of challenging our neighbor and enemy not to sin, without condemnation, eternal judgment is God's alone, but a warning with a conspiracy of love - a true example of loving the sinner and mourning their sin.
How often do we get on our pedestal and castigate, stir up controversy in our parishes, despise our neighbor and rely on anger and negativity, rather than calling out the sin, but with the purpose of love and path of redemption? It is easy to condemn from our lofty ivory towers. Christ calls us to remember the law with active adherence, and to instruct why sin is detrimental - it isn't an arbitrary set of laws indicting us to false chains, on the other hand, when we get more caught up in judgment, which turns to hate, making us feel superior rather than serving Christ and praying for the lost and working to bring them back into the fold with love and mercy, not hate, we are like the crowds that stoned Stephen. We see truth as blasphemy and blasphemy becomes our truth.
Stephen is fearless, not cocky, but completely trusting in Christ's purpose and promise when he is brought before the crowds. Stephen gives an impassioned speech to the Council. "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do..."
Stiff-necked, uncircumcised in heart and ears - that is quite an admonishment - yet sadly I can feel that shame. Even those of us who always try to follow the Lord's call, often turn to our own dependencies on the world - it is often worry - instead of trust. I see the statement about 'ancestors' of course referring to the timeline of Hebrew Scriptures - where the faithful prophets and judges, like Stephen call out the lack of faith and acceptance of the Holy Spirit - however I think this statement is more a reflection the human tendency to rebel and to be stubborn, trying to flee God's power and grace, clinging to the life of the flesh instead of life of God. This isn't a Hebrew problem - it is a human problem that we can still identify with today. This speech is still as powerful 2000 years later, relevant and sharp as a razor awakening us to our need for God and our own cowering in fear of the flesh, and dependency on our role as castigating judges with prejudicial hearts rather than turning over judgment to God.
When Stephen is stoned to death, instead of begging the crowds to stop and forfeiting his reliance on God, he is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. He becomes willing as a martyr, not because he doesn't value his life, but the values his eternal inheritance in Christ more. Would we face the firing lines for faith? Are we willing to forfeit the world for Christ? In the U.S. and Canada this typically isn't something we consider on a life or death basis. In spite of the volatile nature of some secularism that seeks to pull us away from Christ, the media either being 'over zealous' in religious fervor or bashing Christianity - we do have freedom to worship. The very act of going to church we take for granted. How many times have you opted to sleep in or go hiking/skiing (that is a popular excuse among Montanans) putting off church another week. It isn't lack of faith, as much as taking faith for granted.
There are countless areas of the world where Christian martyrdom is a real threat. In North Korea, many Christians secretly hide bibles, if they are found out, they are killed or sent to work camps - yet they do not give up Christ. Perhaps the message "Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands." - Acts 7:47, is an active reminder that though it is important to have churches and places to worship God, it is far more important to keep the spirit in your hearts and that even if you cannot worship in a house of the Lord, God is with us.
In Syria and Egypt many Christians have been persecuted and died...there are countless other countries where Christianity is literally a decision of killing the flesh and embracing God's spirit, because it is that dangerous to live as a Christian.
I read an article recently that said there are more Christians killed, murdered and stoned to death in the 21st century than the time of Stephen and the early martyrs. In Mexico priests are being killed for standing up to the drug cartel.
I pray that we never face that persecution in the U.S., even as negative secularism (not all secularism opposes our faith - God wants us to enjoy life, I refer to the bigotry of Christians and non-Christians, atheists that seeks to separate us from the spirit), we still can worship freely and that is a gift.
Martyrs don't seek death, they embrace life in Christ, yet when death comes they trust in God's eternal salvation rather than the death of the flesh. It isn't some self-effacing act of martyrdom, more for the ego of the martyr - but it is total and complete trust in God. In this Christmas season, may we find the joy of Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to sustain us. Pray that we bear pure fruits of Christ...living with active compassion, mercy, service, love...We cannot also standby and allow other Christians to suffer, we need to stand up for the persecuted and oppressed.
It is significant that 'Saul of Tarsus,' who later became Paul, witnessed Stephen's stoning and instigated it:
"Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he died and Saul approved of their killing him."
It is significant that Stephen prayed for those stoning him and one of the main instigators of the attack, Saul was later called by God in one of the great conversions, a road to redemption, it shows the power of prayer in my opinion. Perhaps God, in hearing the prayer of Stephen, actively worked to convert Saul... Paul became one of the great evangelizers in Christianity. From instigator of the first martyr to Christ's own...how great is the power of the Spirit and grace of Christ indeed!
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