[Thursday's Devotional] - Stephen: Hero by doing

You’ve got to love a namesake haven’t you?  That little moment of pride that swells as you read a book and the hero is named after you!  I get the same when I see a place I’ve visited in a TV program.  I think I can personally own that moment.  Therefore it gives me great pride to introduce my namesake: Stephen.  A hero of doing stuff and lots of it too.

 

I’ll clarify, apart from the name (and its spelling) I fall far short of Stephen’s heroics and would be delighted to be even 5% like the man.

 

He is considered to be the first martyr for Christianity, Stephen was stoned to death by order of St Paul, before his conversion.  Take a look at what the Bible says about him:

 

He did great things

Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.  Acts 6:8 [NIV]

 

His words of the Lord made some angry

So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law.  They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.  They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law
Acts 6:12-13 [NIV]

 

The truth was written on his face, even under adversity

 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.  Acts 6:15 [NIV}

 

He was full of the Holy Ghost

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.  Acts 7:55-56 [NIV]

 

He interceded with God on his killers’ behalf with his last breath

Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.  Acts 7:60 [NIV]

 

His death sent missionaries into all the world

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.   Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.  But Saul began to destroy the church.  Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.  Acts 8:1-4 [NIV]

 

The thing I mostly take from Stephen, is his undying devotion to Christ. He did his duty with what looks like passion and love.  He fulfilled his calling and in his death sent out the word to the far flung reaches of the world.

 

Is your heroic challenge to stand firm and do something?  To challenge the status quo, to stand up and speak out against injustice?

 

Steve Fogo