STEPHEN’S EXAMPLE

Stephen was the church’s first martyr. We do not know very much about this man, this saint. What we do know is that he was one of the seven men the apostles chose to become the first deacons in the aspiring community. The seven were called to aid the apostles in their ministry. Stephen had to have been someone special to have received this calling, this honor. And, as the events in his life played out, he certainly proved to be not only someone very special but also very worthy of such a calling.

What it was that set Stephen apart in the first place, we do not know, other than he and the other six were full of wisdom and the Spirit – the only two requirements demanded by the Apostles of these men. Stephen was so full of God’s Spirit that he even worked miraculous deeds – which certainly attracted the attention of those in authority among the Jews and the Romans. Like Jesus before him, it was dangerous business to work miracles because miracle working attracted the attention of too many people.

Stephen, because of all the attention he was getting, like Jesus before him, became a threat to the authorities. And Stephen, like Jesus, was eventually put on trial because his good works were somehow perceived as a threat to both the Jewish nation itself and even more so to those in authority. The leaders tried to find fault with him. And when they could not and did not, they simply decided he was a blasphemer who should be put to death, just as their predecessors did with Jesus. And that they did. They killed him by stoning him to death.

Like Jesus, even in death Stephen could find a way to forgive those who were unjustly putting him to death. Both Jesus and Stephen are reminders that doing what we are called to do can get us in trouble with others. Goodness, like evil, always attracts attention. Granted, evil deeds gather all the headlines. Stories of people doing good rarely do unless it is the season – or the day – to report on such good deeds, days like Christmas and Thanksgiving. But the truth is we upset more people by our good deeds than we do by our evil deeds. That seems strange, even wrong, but it is true.

A doer of good, like Stephen, is a living, walking, waking reminder to everyone of what all of us are called to be and to do. The good deeds of others stand in contrast, often stark contrast, to the sinful deeds we do – and vice versa. No one likes to be reminded of his or her failings, especially by another human being’s actions. Thus, that living reminder is persecuted, like Stephen, because he is doing what he is supposed to be doing by those who know they are not doing what they know they should.

Human nature, to be sure, but unjustified, also to be sure. We are not called to be Stephen. He had his special call. But so do we. Stephen in his day was not more important than we are in or day. What Stephen did was use his God-given gifts to the best of his ability and then let the chips fall where they fell. We are to use our God-given gifts to the best of our ability and let the chips fall where they will fall. We cannot control the response of others. Only they can. What we can do and must do, and hopefully do, is live out our faith as best we can. That’s all God asked of Stephen and all God asks of us.