Stephen

December 26, 2020 (Saturday)

 

Only 365 days until Christmas! Are you glad it’s over for this year? No? Never fear, Christmas will be back… next year.

 

Stephen was the first Christian martyr. His problem was, “You stubborn people! In your thoughts and hearing, you are like those who have had no part in God’s covenant! You continuously set yourself against the Holy Spirit, just like your ancestors did.” [Acts 7:51 CEB] These are serious charges.

 

Stubbornness may be the most deadly attitude. While arrogance blinds us to the reality, stubbornness sets us willfully on an unchanging path. Stephen was charging the religious elite with knowingly, not ignorantly, choosing a path they knew was wrong.

 

They made this choice with their thoughts. Literally their “hearts” were set against the gospel and the messenger of the gospel. This is best described as “hatred.” Hatred is inspired by Satan and fueled by the choice to be stubborn. The more stubborn we become the more we hate.

 

There is a multiplier to the choices of the heart. It is their hearing. Hearing is also a choice. Jesus noted, “So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.” [Luke 8:18 NLT] Wisdom is learned line by line (see Isaiah 29:10). When we turn our back on God’s wisdom we begin to choose unwisely who and what we listen too.

 

Remember these are the religious people of the day. They supposed themselves secure in their position. Stephen charges they had no part of God’s covenant. Literally they were uncircumcised Gentiles, which they looked down upon.

 

The result was continuously setting themselves against the Holy Spirit. Imagine that, religious people who designed a form of godliness without power resisting the Holy Spirit. Sounds like what the church is doing today. We treat the Holy Spirit like genie we can stuff in a bottle and pull out whenever we have need.

 

On hearing this truth, “Once the council members heard these words, they were enraged and began to grind their teeth at Stephen.” [Acts 7:54 CEB] Sad how when our hypocrisy is exposed we do not repent. Instead we lash out at the truth. The religious elite have moved from stubborn to rage. Sounds about right.

 

“Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” [Hebrews 3:15 NLT]