July 23

Stephen

            Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.  Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen.  But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.  Then they secretly instigated some men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”  They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council.  They set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.” And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Acts 6:8-15

             Stephen was just a good guy.  Everyone who knew him testified to his great character and faith.  He was chosen to be one of the seven stewards to take care of food distribution within the newly formed church.  He performed miracles among the people.  He was thoughtful and intelligent and articulate and none of the professional theologians could win an argument against him.  As he stood before those who wanted to arrest and kill him, the prevailing thought was that his face was like the face of an angel.

            If ever there was a perfect candidate to lead the believers, it was Stephen.  He would be a great strategic choice for a prominent role of leadership as the church was just forming.  He could have joined the apostles in teaching and praying for people.  He could have become an evangelist to the nations and built churches across the known world.  He could have written books of the bible.  He could have been Peter or John or Paul in the growth and development of the church.  God had a different, and no less vital, role for Stephen to play.

            The Church spread throughout the world, in large part, because the Christians were fleeing deadly persecution in Israel.  That persecution really began with the death of one man.  Stephen was the first person to die for his faith in Jesus and once the religious leaders had executed the man with the face of an angel, all other believers were fair game.  Stephen’s death marked the introduction of Paul to Christians and Stephen’s character in the face of cruelty and hatred and death left a permanent mark on the man who would become the Apostle to the Gentiles.

            There are lots of socially-acceptable and praise-worthy roles within the modern church.  There are pastors who are celebrated for their leadership and service and speaking abilities and character.  There are wealthy believers who give sacrificially and in doing so fund the work of the kingdom of God here on earth.  There are the myriad of volunteers who give of their time and talents to put on the various ministries of our churches.  They are all tremendous roles and callings…and usually not where we find our kids.

            Our children tend to be indicators of the spiritual health of our congregations. They tend to occupy the role of the “Least of These,” and how the congregation interacts with them and values them is a pretty strong indicator of the church’s strength of character and softness of heart.  If our kids are ignored or looked down upon or asked to leave, there is often a love of money and status and success that make hearing God’s voice challenging.  If our kids are loved and welcomed and honored and listened to, there is often a recognition of God’s grace and love and work in the dishonored places in the world.

            This is not the role that I would have chosen for my son or my family.  There are other roles that we occupy for the church: lots of volunteering, some teaching and hosting.  But it seems to me that this is our primary gift to the church, a chance to hold up the mirror and testify to how well we love those who are not wealthy, are not famous, cannot repay our kindness.  How well does our church love the Least of These?  For that is the criteria that Jesus sets out in scriptures for His children.

A moment to reflect:

What role do your children and your family have in your church?