Introduction.
Events of this week have again drawn into stark realization that being a Christian remains a dangerous prospect, even in the 21st Century. The massacre of nearly 300 Christian men, women and children in the city of Colombo, Sri Lanka appears to have been in reprisal for the killing of dozens of Muslim worshipers that occurred a few weeks ago over 10,000 miles away in Christchurch, New Zealand. In the deluded minds of the perpetrators, they were justified in taking Christian lives to “pay” for the Muslim lives lost earlier.
The Christians who died did so while proclaiming their faith for all to see and hear. By any definition, they were all “Martyrs” and deserve our respect and humble thanks for their sacrifice.
But we know that violence against Christians is nothing new. Of course, the very first example of this occurred when Jesus was put to death by the Romans and the Jewish leaders. He was crucified for His faith and message, presaging the fate of others who dared to spread His Gospel of Love, Peace, and Equality before God.
In fact, of the twelve Apostles living at the time of Jesus’ ascension (eleven ‘original’ apostles plus Matthias who’d been elected to join the select group), only one would die of old age. All the rest were destined to die for their faith as the world evidenced its hostility to Christ’s Message again and again.
This week, we’re going to explore the very first Christian Martyr, Stephen. For, Stephen “set the stage” for all the Christian Martyrs who would follow.
Stephen’s Story and Death.
We first meet Stephen in Acts 6. There he is identified as one of the seven men elected by the Christians in Jerusalem to oversee the daily distribution of food to the membership. Some of the congregation had become dissatisfied with how some of the widows among the group were being overlooked as the daily ration of food was given out. They complained to the Twelve Apostles who decided to appoint seven men of “…spirit and Wisdom…” to oversee the operation. These men were the very first “Deacons” of the Christian Church, people entrusted with important responsibility in the daily running of the Church.
Apparently, Stephen successfully filled this responsibility since we next encounter him as he is evangelizing among the populace in Jerusalem. He is described as “…a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people…” [Acts 6:8]
As happens to many popular men however, it didn’t take long for others to become jealous of him and his message. “Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue …who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.” [Acts 6:9-10].
These dissidents (probably taking their cue from how Jesus had been dealt with) “…stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.”
Stephen refused to be cowed and proceeded to preach a powerful sermon declaring the Jewish leadership as “…stiff necked….and resist(ing) the Holy Spirit.” [Acts 7:1-53] Hearing this, the Sanhedrin, “…covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him.” [Acts 7:57-58].
It’s worth noting here that the Sanhedrin did not try to have Stephen crucified. Roman law reserved that particular method of execution to itself, but it did allow the Sanhedrin to stone someone to death. Such a stoning would not have required any sanction from the Roman authorities. And, it could be done “on a moment’s notice” as Stephen’s apparently was.
Parallels with Jesus.
There are a number of parallels between Stephen’s death and Jesus’.
- Each man was killed after he had revealed the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders and their failure to listen to God’s messengers;
- Each had been falsely accused of blasphemy by people encouraged by the Jewish leadership to do so;
- Jesus and Stephen were each subjected to a ‘sham’ trial where the ‘verdict’ was predetermined;
- Both executions were done in public;
- Jesus and Stephen each asked God to forgive their executioners because, “they know not what they do.”
- Each man was promptly buried; and
- Each killing prompted subsequent persecution of Christian believers which, ultimately, led to a stronger, more expansive and vibrant Christian faith.
It is not difficult to believe that Stephen remembered Jesus and His behavior during His trial and crucifixion and purposefully modeled his own actions on those of Jesus. Jesus’ Passion and execution were undoubtedly fresh in Stephen’s mind, and as Stephen saw his own situation playing out much as had his Lord’s, he undoubtedly drew strength and encouragement from Jesus’ example, and even exulted in the fact that he was sharing (at least in part) Jesus’ experience.
Stephen clearly died unafraid, and in fact praised God in the face of his certain death. “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God,” he said just before they dragged him away to be stoned. [Acts 7:56]
The Result.
The systematic persecution of Christians in Jerusalem that began with Stephen’s killing galvanized members of the early church into a frenzy of evangelical action that resulted in the Church’s growth across Palestine and even into neighboring countries. His barbaric death provided the stimulus that the early Church needed to leave its ‘comfortable’ birthplace and to move into the larger world. Without Stephen’s martyrdom the Church could have remained a local phenomenon and might never have begun its march across the then Middle East and even into Asia. Stephen’s death was the “spark” that kindled an evangelical fire that would last for over 2,000 years and propel disciples to proclaim the Good News to billions of people.
Stephen’s Legacy.
Stephen was canonized by the Catholic Church during its “Pre-Congregational” period, that is before 1634 AD. The Catholic Church (and other Orthodox churches) recognize him as the patron saint of Deacons and Masons. His feast day is December 26th.
Stephen’s display of an unshakable faith while speaking “truth to power” has emboldened and encouraged people in similar situations for the past two millennia. His example is particularly pertinent in today’s fractious and overheated social environment where we are bombarded with lies and misdirection intended to sway us toward one line of thinking or another.
His example also testifies to Christians’ obligation to speak such truths. It would have been much easier for Stephen to “sit down and be quiet,” but that was something that his faith refused to allow him to do. In a time when we are routinely encouraged to “just get along,” it’s easy to forget that sometimes the truth needs to be proclaimed, regardless of personal consequences.
And finally, Stephen’s legacy is a reminder that even in death, we can serve God’s purpose. As already shown, Stephen’s death was a catalyst that sparked the expansion of the Church, something that Stephen undoubtedly did not expect. But when called to defend his faith, Stephen did so, and that defense produced a mighty result!
Stephen’s Lessons for us Today.
Most of us can still find ourselves in situations where it might be uncomfortable (or even dangerous) to declare our faith. As I started this post, I reminded the reader that Christians are still under attack (societally, spiritually, and even physically) around the world. We can face ridicule, ostracization, or even physical harm. But in such situations, we are called by our faith to declare it, consequences be darned.
But, to take a successful stand for our faith requires not only courage but also a deep understanding of our faith. The faith that we defend must be OUR faith, not a faith that someone else has given to us. Go back and read Stephen’s discourse in front of the Sanhedrin. [Acts 7:1-53] You can see that he was well-grounded, not in just what his faith said, but also what his faith meant (to him and to others). There was no confusion regarding his faith. He was able to defend it because he not only knew it, but he also understood it.
Similarly, if we hope to have a faith that we can not only stand for but can also stand on, we must have that same kind of commitment and understanding. Knowing what to say does not constitute “faith.” Knowing why to say what is needed to be said does.
That’s the kind of faith that Stephen had, and that allowed him to look death in the eye without blinking. He could see the Son of Man standing next to the Father in Heaven because he not only knew what to say, but he also understood why what he was saying was true.
It is my prayer that we all can come to this kind of faith, and that our faith can give us the same kind of confidence and courage to stand up today and be counted as Christians. So, keep praying, studying, and arguing with one another! For out of those intense activities, real meaning will emerge, and you’ll be “ready,” just as Stephen was.
Gods’ Blessings on You All.
Richard
April 26,2019
