A wasted life?

While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”. 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 7:59-60

Boxing Day was “the feast of Stephen” (remember “Good King Wenceslas”?), who was stoned to death in the earliest days of the church by the Jewish Sanhedrin, or council. We meet him only in Acts 6-8, mainly through the long speech he gave to the council attacking their traditional Judaism, and especially their emphasis on the Jerusalem temple (chapter 7).

The first followers of Jesus came to believe that the temple had been superseded by Jesus himself and so was destined to fade into the mists of history. Understandably, the religious leaders in Jerusalem did not take kindly to this message; and so Stephen paid with his life – “the first Christian martyr”.

There’s a lot we don’t know about Stephen: how old was he? did he have a wife and children? what job did he do? how did he become a follower of Jesus?

But the details we do have make it clear that he was a giant of a man, if not in a physical sense. You may (like me) not take traditional “saints’ days” very seriously. But if December 26 gives us an excuse to take another look at Stephen, well, why not? So let’s gather together some of the things Acts tells us about this truly remarkable man…

First, his name Stephen is Greek rather than Hebrew (it means “crown” or “wreath”). This suggests that he came of Gentile (Greek-speaking) rather than Jewish stock.

Second, he was one of a group of seven men chosen in those first days to help the apostles in the organizing of the church (Acts 6:1-7). While the names of all seven are given to us, Luke, the writer of Acts, picks Stephen out as head and shoulders above the others. He was “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (verse 5); he was “full of God’s grace and power” and “performed great wonders and signs among the people” (verse 8); he was full of Spirit-given wisdom (verse 10).

Oh for a few more Stephens, both male and female, today!

Third, like his Master Jesus he was accused of blasphemy and put to death by the religious authorities (Acts 7:54-60).

Fourth, unlike Jesus, he had a vision of “the glory of God” as he died (verses 55-56). (Jesus experienced something very different: a terrible sense of abandonment).

Fifth, also like Jesus, he committed his spirit to God as he died (verse 59), and was buried with “deep mourning” (8:2).

And sixth, again like Jesus, he prayed for the forgiveness of those who persecuted him, that God would “not hold this sin against them” (verse 60).

That’s quite a list! Is Stephen the most Christlike person in the New Testament? A silly question, no doubt – but a very natural one.

But another question also pops its head up: Was Stephen’s life basically a wasted life?

Acts doesn’t tell us exactly how long he had been a follower of Jesus. But it certainly won’t have been for long, probably weeks rather than months. But no sooner has he begun to exercise a powerful ministry – teaching, preaching, evengelising, organising, working miracles – than… he is dead.

And you think: what might he have achieved if he had lived out a full life-span! How many sermons might he have preached? How many mission journeys gone on? Would he have been as great as Peter, John or Paul? Even greater, perhaps?

Don’t worry. I don’t really ask that question, because I have no doubt that God knows what he is doing.

But I ask it because sometimes you hear of the “premature” death of some wonderful Christian and perhaps the thought creeps into your mind, “How much talent, there, was never put to use!”.

The story of Stephen gives us some fascinating details to comfort us at such a time.

First, Acts 7:58 tells us that the men doing the stoning “laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul”. Now, why would Luke bother to tell us that, if it weren’t for the fact that what Saul saw that day played a part in his conversion? Was this the beginning of his transition to become “the apostle Paul”? Was it as Saul watched this great man dying with such calm and dignity that his hate-filled unbelief began to crumble?

Second, Acts 8:1 tells us that Stephen’s killing triggered “a great persecution against the church”, causing many of the first believers in Jerusalem to run for their lives.

Not good! But just look at what Acts 8:4 says: “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.” And that included places like Antioch which were outside the main Jewish sphere of influence. One writer says that “the blood of Stephen was the seed of Gentile Christianity”. God, as so often, proves himself adept at turning evil to good.

So… A wasted life? No! Lost talents? No! God really does know what he’s doing, and our job is simply to trust him for that – even if we do so sometimes through our tears.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, / But trust him for his grace;/ Behind a frowning providence/ He hides a smiling face. / His purposes will ripen fast, / Unfolding every hour;/ The bud may have a bitter taste, / But sweet will be the flower. William Cowper, 1731-1800 – “God moves in a mysterious way…”