Day 13

Readings and Thoughts for Friday, February 15, 2008

Acts 7:1-51 Stephen’s Speech to the Council

Stephen defends himself against the council. Or does he? It seems to me his speech could be used as a model of “How to get yourself killed by an angry mob.”

Stephen’s speech is the longest one in Acts (among several that are of significant length). The main thing to notice is the way Stephen (together with the church) claims to be the true descendent of Moses and follower of God. He points out that just as the followers of Jesus are rejected by most Jews, in the past other prophets, even Moses, were not understood or respected in their own time even though they spoke God’s truth. He also makes an argument that the Jerusalem temple, built by Solomon (and destroyed in 70 a.d. – before Luke got around to writing the gospel or Acts) was never God’s true home. “The Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands (Luke 7:48).” In other words, loyalty to the temple and to the temple’s officials does not, and never did, constitute loyalty to the living God.

It’s tempting to say that Stephen urges the Jews in his audience to accept Jesus as Messiah and savior, but he really doesn’t. He chastises them severely and accuses them: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears” (Luke 7:51); “You have become his betrayers and murderers” (Luke 7:52). This is another place in Acts where we see the very painful rift between Jews who become followers of Jesus and those who do not. (And where we must not adopt the anti-Jewish language as our own.) As the church today we need to remember that now we are the religious authorities; we are the establishment; we are the ones whose traditions might be threatened by a new movement of the Spirit.

What changes have you seen in the church during your lifetime? Which ones have you welcomed? Which ones have you struggled with?

Acts 7:54 – 8:1a The Stoning of Stephen

Stephen’s death is no organized matter settled legally in court. In fact, the council did not actually have the power of execution under Roman rule (as we recall from the story of Jesus’ arrest and subsequent Roman trial). There is no calm, rational Rabbi Gamaliel here, either. There is no voice of restraint or reason. This is pure mob violence – an angry crowd lashing out at a charismatic young man who has enraged them with his confident and confrontational proclamation.

I have always had this story in my mind in a certain way, that Stephen looked up while he was being stoned, and it was then, just as he was dying that he saw the heavens opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. I thought the vision was a sort of reassurance to him that he was not dying in vain. But this isn’t quite accurate. It is as he finishes his “defense” and before the crowd has turned violent that Stephen has his vision of Jesus reigning with God. The vision does not so much comfort him (he does not seem to require any comfort) as compel him to make the ultimate claim that with his own eyes he can see Jesus is resurrected and reigning in heaven with God. To the Jews who do not follow Jesus, this is the ultimate blasphemy. To Luke, this is the ultimate choice. When Stephen speaks of this vision to the crowd, these words completely enflame them; they drag him from the city (you cannot execute someone in God’s holy city) and stone him to death.

Like Stephen, have you ever defended your faith or made other comments that weren’t strictly in your best interest? Have you ever had a vision or other reassurance from God at a critical moment?