Today is the Feast of St. Stephen, and in honor of this spiritual hero I thought we would take a look at how he ended in love.
Acts 7:54 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. 58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep.
I’ve had people not like my sermons before but it’s never gotten to the gnashing of teeth at me level. Yet!! Have you ever been hurt, even deeply hurt by others before. I think criticism, rejection, and betrayal are some of the hardest things we ever walk through; and one of the greatest snares of the enemy is to use these things to pull us into bitterness, and resentment. The way Stephen stewarded the negative behavior of others toward him is such a powerful testimony. Instead of anger, and unforgiveness, he, as he was dying, asked the Lord to not hold their sins against them. Sounds like Jesus at the Cross, doesn’t it. How did he do it? I think the answer isn’t how, but WHO. He is obviously in union with the Love of Christ, who was alive in him by the Holy Spirit. I guess the real question is, how did he draw from the WHO in this time of personal assault. Notice what it says about him as they were gnashing their teeth in His direction. “Being (continually) full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into Heaven and saw the glory of God.” He did not wait to get refilled with the Holy Spirit when the crisis hit; he stayed filled with the Holy Spirit, and was therefore already prepared for any crisis that might come. So often we live halfhearted Christian lives until a crisis comes and then we try to scramble our way into the presence of Jesus. It’s much better to already be there all the time. When you abide in Christ, and abide in His love, then you perpetually bear fruit in all the seasons of life. Have you ever noticed that when you throw rocks at a fruit tree it doesn’t throw rocks back at you. Instead, it only gives fruit. More about the story of Saint Stephen stewarding and releasing the life and love of Jesus in the midst of severe rejection tomorrow.