On the Sundays after Easter our first readings have been from the Acts of the Apostles, and the second readings from the Book of Revelation. We don’t usually hear preaching from these books (I confess I seldom preach from them), so I have reflected these past weeks on the Book of Revelation. Since this is the last Sunday we will hear from Acts, I thought it high time that we focus on it. I hereby promise to accept my own implied challenge and preach from Acts on this Sunday. I encourage other preaches to do the same.
There are two Christian luminaries in today’s reading from Acts: Stephen, the first martyr and “a young man named Saul.” What a surprise to find the great apostle Paul concurring in Stephen’s death. Not only is he among the crowd that stones Stephen, but the witnesses “laid down their cloaks” at Saul’s feet. Luke will go on to tell us that Saul would be a persecutor of Christians who, “breathed murderous threats against the disciples” (9:1-2).
It is as if Luke, the author of Acts, is preparing his case for Saul’s remarkable conversion by underlining how remarkable Saul’s change was: from the extreme of approving of Stephen’s execution, to becoming the brilliant defender and promoter of the faith to the Gentiles. What an irony lies in this brief mention of Saul, because Christian readers can’t help but marvel at the grace that he would receive. It was a grace which moved him to a faith so powerful, that he would die for that faith and be counted, with Stephen, among the heroic earliest martyrs.
That same transforming grace is also available to us. No matter where it finds us, it can free and redirect us — as it did Paul. Saint Luke seems to be implying that no one is beyond the powerful grace of God; no one is mired in such false, or self-defeating ways of life, that grace can’t raise them up and place them on the sure footing of new life in Christ.
Our gospel today continues with Jesus’ farewell discourse at the Last Supper. John presents a masterful and carefully constructed narrative of Jesus’ last words. In Acts we also have a “last discourse” of sorts, as we hear Stephen’s prayer as he is dying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” In the manner of his master, who prayed for his executioners from the cross, Stephen also prays for those pitching stones at him, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” — then he dies. Or rather, “he fell asleep,” suggesting Stephen’s death is not permanent and that he will awake, as those who are also faithful witnesses to the Lord.
What brought Stephen to this fatal ending? Acts has previously told us of Stephen’s exemplary life. He was “a man filled with grace, power and the Holy Spirit” (6:5,8), who was a fearless preacher of the gospel. What’s more, when confronted by the authorities, Stephen could not be silenced. They even dragged him before the Sanhedrin; still he would not stop speaking of Christ. In his speech before the assembly Stephen recapitulated the history of Israel, and accused his listeners of rejecting God’s messengers. He concluded that, from now on, true worshipers would do so outside the Temple.
How could the Sanhedrin not be infuriated at Stephen’s attack on their faith and his dismissal of the Temple as the unique center of worship? They accused him of blaspheming and sentenced him to death by stoning. That’s where today’s story from Acts takes up the narrative. We are at the site with Stephen will be executed, just as Jesus was, outside the city. What Jesus warned, about his followers causing division by their testimony to him and being persecuted and killed for their faith, was being fulfilled in Stephen’s fidelity. In Jesus, Stephen and Paul we have a powerful witness to how our church began and grew — through the blood of the martyrs.
Stephen’s proclamation of faith in Jesus continued as he gave witness to the vision he had of Jesus exalted as Lord and standing at God’s right-hand. In other words, he implied that Jesus is to be obeyed just as one would obey God. As he did before the Sanhedrin, Stephen is again professing that the observance of the Mosaic law has passed and that Jesus has given us a new and everlasting covenant. That was too much for his hearers to accept and so they stone him to death.
In telling us about Stephen’s death and his final words, Luke makes us witnesses too and, not only presents us with an example of the protomartyr’s death, but also offers us a challenge. Will we be one of those witnesses who cover our ears and eyes to what Stephen is saying and doing? Or, will we take his words to heart and imitate his spirit of forgiveness? Stephen is putting Jesus’ central teaching about forgiveness into visible and concrete practice, under the most dire circumstances.
Following Jesus’ teaching and the example of our first martyr, will we commit ourselves to practice forgiveness in big and small ways each day? Will we pray for the very ones who have hurt us; or will we continue to clutch and refuse to let go of grudges, offenses and resentments? Not only must we practice forgiveness on a personal level, but our Church and all Christians must do the same: practicing forgiveness among different Christian sects, but also towards Muslims, Jews, Hindus, etc.
The power of true forgiveness is beyond our capability, but certainly not inaccessible to Christ, who would freely grace us with the gift of forgiveness — as Stephen witnesses for us. We could take up John’s prayer today from the Book of Revelation’s closing words. He ends his book of visions with a promise and a prayer. Christ promises, “Yes, I am coming soon,” and John voices our final prayer, “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus, change my heart and fill it with the power of forgiveness. Help me to practice that forgiveness in big ways and small — at home, work, recreation — but also in my feelings and thoughts. Help me to give forgiveness as freely as you have forgiven me. What I can’t do on my own, O Lord, do within me. Amen, Come Lord Jesus!”