With eyes fixed on God!

Acts 6:8-10.7:54-59

8 Stephen, brimming with God's grace and energy, was doing wonderful things among the people, unmistakable signs that God was among them. 9 But then some men from the meeting place whose membership was made up of freed slaves, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and some others from Cilicia and Asia, went up against him trying to argue him down. 10 But they were no match for his wisdom and spirit when he spoke. At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed-- he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. 56 He said, "Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God's side!" 57 Yelling and hissing, the mob drowned him out. Now in full stampede, 58 they dragged him out of town and pelted him with rocks. The ringleaders took off their coats and asked a young man named Saul to watch them. 59 As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, "Master Jesus, take my life." 60 Then he knelt down, praying loud enough for everyone to hear, "Master, don't blame them for this sin"-- his last words. Then he died. Saul was right there, congratulating the killers.

Food for soul!

It is a rather strange that immediately after Christmas we should celebrate Stephen’s martyrdom. What is the connection, if any, between the two, Christmas and Martyrdom, between birth of Jesus and death of Stephen? The connection is obvious. One is the beginning, the other is the end; one is life’s beginning, the other is life’s end. Yes, the two are the two sides of the same coin. Jesus is born to die; and death is the birth to everlasting life.

Between the two, between birth and death, life is not easy. Life is a challenge full of ups and downs, full of trying moments. We do well to do like Stephen, in his suffering and agony and insults, he only had his eyes fixed on God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. 

What Stephen does is extremely important, especially when we are being misunderstood or misrepresented by people. The reading says that as the people were full of anger towards Stephen, while the people were furiously focusing on Stephen, Stephen was intently looking toward heaven, where he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 

"Look!" he said. "I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" But Stephen’s opponontes instead covered their ears, shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent: to stone him to death. And they did kill him. 

As the rocks rained down on Stephen, he prayed, "Master Jesus, take my life." Then he knelt down, praying loud enough for everyone to hear, "Master, don't blame them for this sin," his last words. What a great lesson for you and me!!!!