BULLETIN ARTICLE – 29 April 2018
Stephen, a Greek-speaking Hellenistic Jew, was one of the seven chosen for the task of distributing food and charitable aids to the poor and needy members of the Jerusalem Church community. He was a Spirit filled man, full of God’s grace and power. He was active in public preaching and teaching in the Jerusalem synagogues. He “performed great wonders and signs among the people”. Because of his strong stand for the resurrected Jesus, he had many dissenters especially from the Synagogue of the Freedman. He was accused of speaking words of blasphemy against Moses and God. He ended up to become the first martyr of Christianity.
We remember the Sermon on the Mount with the opening Beatitudes (eight blessings) that Jesus during his ministry taught his disciples. The eighth beatitude focused on the persecution of the disciples following Jesus – “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt 5:10-11). This was exactly the scenario Stephen found himself in before the Jewish leaders. He was insulted, reviled and accused by these religious leaders. False witnesses were brought in to testify against him. Here we see how Stephen responded unerringly and faithfully to the persecution teachings of Jesus. He would be one whom Jesus would have been pleased to call blessed.
In contrast to Stephen, his accusers were furious and they gnashed their teeth at him. In the Bible there are many references of “weeping and gnashing of teeth” in that place of darkness where evildoers and sinners are banished. Gnashing of teeth is often used to express the horror and torment of the damned. Such extreme behavior and mannerism, of fury and rage was compared to the calmness of Stephen. He stood there, serene and in absolute control, “looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55). He refused to look at men who rejected the Messiah but fixed his eyes on Jesus as the “pioneer and perfecter” of his faith (Heb 12:2). This strong faith was precisely Stephen’s strength and unshakeable confidence.
To the very end, Stephen acted just like the forgiving Jesus when he faced his end crucified on the cross at Calvary. With his last breath, facing his murderers, Stephen cried out with forgiveness: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Appealing forgiveness for his dissenters and murderers, he was full of compassion and mercy. As we earlier reflected on the beatitude about persecution, we see that Stephen clearly encompassed all of it. He was poor in spirit, he mourned for the lost, he was meek, he hungered for righteousness, he was merciful and pure in heart, he was peaceful and he was finally persecuted and stoned to death. He was blessed in every way and thus he was able to see God and entered into the kingdom of heaven – the place that Jesus had prepared for him.
