The Acts of the Apostles is an astounding and inspiring testimony of faith of the first Christian community in Jerusalem. Today we look at St Stephen, the first martyr. His preaching was bold and direct. He calls the people to conversion. He points out to the people of Jerusalem that they had received the Word of God and the Law from the transmission of faith from angels. But rather than living out that Word and developing a saintly life, the people dedicated themselves to their own pursuits and agendas. They distanced themselves from God’s plan. They renounced their mission to be signs of God presence amongst their neighbors. By breaking the covenant, they separated themselves from God and also broke their responsibility to bring others to God through their holy life.
He says they are a stiff-necked people with their ears and heart closed to God. This infuriated the crowd. Stephan then points to Jesus as the center of returning to God’s plan of salvation for all. The crowd then takes Stephan outside the city and executes him. While he is being stoned to death, Stephan continues to preach and proclaim the truth by praying for his tormentors. What a sign of love and forgiveness!
Sometimes the truth is hard for us to accept, hard to swallow. It is very easy to get off track and follow the crowd and become part of the mob, the common culture. Common wisdom says you can’t run against the wind, or you can’t swim upstream against the current.
St Stephan and that first generation of Christian had a clear vison of their mission and responsibility to announce the love and forgiveness of Christ, not just for their own good or salvation but primarily for the good of others. Their witness demonstrated God’s love and forgiveness. They were living signs of resurrection and new creation. Their witness strengthened the local faith community and brought more people to faith.
Stephan’s bold witness calls all to review our own lives and our life as a faith community. Do we give public witness to our faith amongst our family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers? Or are we just another part of the common culture?
Behold, I see the heavens opened
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God…
Lord, do not hold this sin against them
Image: The Martyrdom of St Stephen, Annibale Carracci (1560–1609), Louvre, public domain, Wiki Commons.