Remembering Stephen

I have never met Stephen. Primarily because he lived over 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem. He was noticed by the first disciples as a man of integrity, and humility. One who preformed powerful healings, ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’.

Stephen was among seven appointed by the disciples to serve the poor and to help meet their needs. There is no hint that he was offended, nor that he was aspiring to a more important task; both foolproof hallmarks of someone ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’. The term describes a follower of Jesus who displays the character, values, and moral integrity of the One they profess to follow. Not focusing on mere words or slogans, but faith demonstrated with actions, and even supernatural power to heal. These attributes cannot be faked or mimicked.

Just as we can tell the difference between a light bulb filled with electricity and radiating light to one no longer working, the disciples knew the contrast between a man or woman who had met Jesus personally rather than merely heard about him.

It was Stephen’s actions in the name of Jesus that impacted those around him. He never proclaimed himself, nor lost his true calling by seeking more personal influence. However, he refused to be silent about the identity of Jesus revealed through his life, death, and resurrection. He became well known for the miracles he performed, and his courage in proclaiming who’s power was at work. It was all about God, and nothing to do with Stephen being anyone remarkable. “He must increase, I must decrease’, was no doubt his mantra.

Place one like that in the marketplace, who refuses to be intimidated, and the ‘lesser’ men and women in public office who yearn for power and prestige grow nervous and angry. Such men and women are offended, and threatened by one who demonstrates a power and confidence they will never match. It didn’t take long for Stephen to be arrested and dragged before the Sanhedrin.

Standing before the illustrious and powerful leaders of his day Stephen was calm, confident, and eloquent. Rather than being cowed and desperate to save his skin he embraced the opportunity to speak. He outlined the history of the Jewish nation to leaders who would have been familiar with his summary.

Stephen was doing well, demonstrating an impressive knowledge of history, and then:

Freeze the frame.

You can hear the voices in the head of most leaders. “Stop now, don’t rock the boat, compromise, save your skin/career. be politically correct, don’t offend, God doesn’t want you to be silly, maybe tomorrow…..”

Apparently Stephen didn’t get the memo. He never blinked, stuttered, or hesitated. Looking the members of the Sanhedrin squarely in the eye he concluded with a scathing attack on their hypocrisy. Listen to his words:

“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

Thin-skinned leaders cannot tolerate such insubordination, or truth-telling. When there is no rebuttal or argument of substance, accusation, blame, and violence invariably follows. Stephen was dragged outside by the frothing mob and stoned to death. He was a young man, not yet in his prime, with so much potential. God could have used him for years at a time when his leadership was desperately needed. What an injustice; such a waste. The good get killed while the weak and compromising flourish. So it seems.

As Stephen faced death he received a vision of Jesus in heaven. His last words forgave those who hurled the stones. “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

Why God?

God allows what he doesn’t always desire. Such is the gift of freedom bestowed on the human race. A gift to choose, to rebel, to act however we decide, and to deny the existence of God without obvious retaliation at the time. Despite all the rebellion God’s love is never withdrawn, and neither is he defeated.

The truth is simple. “Filled with the Holy Spirit” means something in the Bible. It means filled with the power of God, the character of Jesus, and the boldness of a lion. The fruit is unstoppable love, power to heal, truth firm as a rock, grace and mercy akin to Jesus himself. There’s no mistaking a fake from the real thing. No matter how much someone thumps their chest, makes declarations, calls themselves Christian, or a prophet, they are merely sounding gongs if they are not authentically filled. Placing a stone in a cookie jar never transforms it into a cookie. They say the experts can spot a fake a mile off because they are so familiar with the real thing. Unfortunately we are living in a time in (and out) of the church where fake is ‘good enough’; most have never experienced the real thing.

When Stephen was stoned to death a young man watched from the sidelines. He held the cloaks of some who were stoning the man, probably his age. One who took the directly opposite viewpoint to him in almost every way; far too ‘liberal’ for his traditional right-wing religious views. He hated what Stephen stood for; his ‘antisemitic speech and his daring to challenge long-accepted traditions. He didn’t sound like a ‘good Jew’! Despite all of that, something in the way Stephen conducted himself, his tone, his courage, and even his grace in death was unavoidably impressive. Perhaps Stephen was looking directly at the young man standing like a coat stand when he uttered those words of forgiveness.

That young man was Saul, later to be known as Paul, the one God used to explain the meaning of Jesus and to provide the foundation of Christian teaching in the Bible. The one who would also suffer, be stoned, flogged, and eventually beheaded. Paul never forgot what he had witnessed. He said as much years later: ‘Even when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I was standing there, approving it and guarding the coats of those who were killing him.’

The seeds of transformation, revelation, and faith for Saul/Paul were sown in the blood of Stephen. Perhaps Paul would never have emerged on the Christian scene without Stephen’s short life and uncompromising witness to Jesus.

In a season where we are experiencing a dearth of leadership speaking truth, leadership failing to demonstrate courage whatever the cost, and leadership preferring expediency and compromise as their yardstick, Stephen reminds me of a better way. Life was brutal in his day. Nothing is new under the sun. The early Christians were embroiled in life, corruption, power-struggles, politics, poverty, religious cowardice, opportunism, and everything else.

My prayer is for men and women with the DNA of Stephen to rise up and shrug off the awful bubble-like existence of many in the church and politics. To be filled with the Holy Spirit and to speak truth to power, whatever the cost. John the Baptist was beheaded for challenging Nero. Who will take on the Neros of our day? Not merely with rhetoric, but with lives that demonstrate the grace, character, and courage of Jesus. of Stephen, and eventually of Paul. The fake will demand war, advocate bombs dropped on the innocent, clutch to human power like a drowning man. They will blame the opposition, justify their compromises and even indifferences, and place self interest above the welfare of others.

When the ‘real thing’ emerges. I pray we will have the eyes to see and the ears to hear. Two thousand years ago they chose Barabbas, and crucified the most real man filled with the Holy Spirit who ever lived. It makes one shudder.

Thank God for Stephen. He is still remembered. But when will we learn? Is the question echoing from his day to ours.