Today, the day after Christmas, we move quickly from the joy of the birth of Jesus to the story of the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen. Out 1st reading today from the Acts of the Apostles tells the story of Stephen’s witnessing and death. Luke describes him as “filled with grace and power…working great wonders and signs among the people.” He debated with his fellow Greek speaking Jews and proclaimed to them that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah. Some Jews took great offense at his preaching because they believed that the Messiah should be powerful whereas Jesus has died a shameful death on the cross. St. Paul himself, tell us that before his conversion the cross was a scandal or stumbling block to him and his fellow Jews:
“For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:22-24).
Some of his fellow Jews found Stephen’s words scandalous. Luke tells us that Stephen was “filled with the Holy Spirit…saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” Stephen than declared: “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” Some in the Jewish crowd saw these words as blasphemous and proceeded to stone Stephen to death. The Greek word “martyr” means witness. A martyr is one who witnesses to Jesus by following in the footsteps of Jesus, sometimes even unto death. Stephen as the first martyr died as Jesus did:
Jesus: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”; and when he had said this he breathed his last.’ (Luke 23:46).
Stephen: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” (Acts 7:59).
As we continue to celebrate our newborn Savior, we are invited to continue our daily encounter with Jesus. We encounter him with all the joys and the demands of a newborn child. We are also challenged by the adult Jesus who teaches and shows us the Will and the Ways of God. We are all called to be witnesses or martyrs by following in the footstep of Jesus.
Image: “Martyrdom of Saint Stephen by Giovanni Andrea De Ferrari (1598-1669), undated, oil on copper – Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti – DSC02144” by Giovanni Andrea de Ferrari is marked with CC0 1.0.