Acts 7:51 – 54 - Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
Stephen had been released from jail… brought before the council of religious leaders and given an opportunity to speak to the charges against him. His speech was more of a sermon that summarized the history of the Jewish nation. He did not defend himself…but instead used his time to bring attention to the truth of what Jesus had to offer these leaders who just could not let go of the old…and believe in the new life that Jesus could give them.
His words were received by such hardened hearts ..ones that only saw truth as something that fit into the shape they decided was truth…that Stephen was taken from the room by an angry mob that immediately stoned him to death. Stone after stone…thrown with anger and malice… battered his body till he breathed no more.
What is so amazing to me about this story is that Stephen drew so much power and strength from the Holy Spirit that he mimicked the character of Jesus as he gave up His Spirit to God…even praying that God forgive these people who just could not see the truth of what they were doing. He refused to return their anger with his own…fully accepting what was happening to him as the will of the father…trusting that this act of man would somehow glorify God...whom he had chosen to serve.
I admit that I have a hard time understanding this complete trust in God. I want to be strong enough to be so subservient…. but know in my heart I have a long way to go before I could even come close to this kind of dedication and trust in God. One key I learned from Stephen….is to stay full of the Holy Spirit that God gives us…then remember to use it evry time I am faced with a situation that tests my faith. I know that is right because Jesus taught him how to do this…proving that all men have the same power Christ had to overcome any form of darkness.
Father…thank you for the reminder that I have power unlimited to overcome the trials and darkness you allow in my life. Forgive me for the times that I have let the world trick me in to returning anger for anger….hate for hate…bitterness for bitterness…or unforgiveness for false witness against me. Help me to learn to keep the Holy Spirit so full in my heart tat I always depend on it instead of myself to conquer and overcome what the world throws at my faith. Amen.
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