Acts 7:55-60 The...
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Acts 7:55-60
The 22-year-old daughter of Bob and Goldie Bristol was raped and killed. Such things happen too often. Although it's horrifying, it's not out of the ordinary. What was different about the whole painful experience is that Bob and Goldie were finally allowed to visit her killer in prison; and when they did, they forgave him.
Goldie wrote a book, When It's Hard to Forgive. She reported their daughter's death and their visiting and forgiving the murderer. They recalled speaking at meetings about the experience, and they were surprised how often people were hostile to them, frequently attacking them as unfeeling and accusing them of betraying their daughter's worth and memory. People accused them of being unloving and naive in approaching society's problems.
Only some sort of "vision" of God's glory such as Stephen saw can lead to forgiving such as Stephen did.
Acts 7:55-60
Nearly every time I play racquetball, one of my opponents catches me on the backside with a ball. I've been hit on the head, my legs, and just about everywhere in between. It's usually my fault. The player in front is supposed to allow a lane for his/her opponent to hit through. If you don't get out of the way, a rubber ball rocketing up to 100+ miles per hour smacks you. Though they smart some, I'm usually proud of those stinging bruises. They make me feel macho.
I can't imagine the pain from having a large rock hit me, however, followed by a pummeling of stones thrown by passionately irate men. Stephen died from angrily thrown stones. In the midst of his pain, he asked God to forgive the throwers. He wasn't trying to be macho. Neither did he fume with resentment. Jesus' love in him pardoned his killers. I pray for that kind of love.
Acts 7:55-60
In the checkout line, a young girl reaches for a candy bar. Her mother grabs her, and when the four-year-old struggles, the mother delivers a sharp slap. The child begins to cry. Everyone stops to gawk as the child is being shaken and scolded for wanting candy. "I told you not to touch anything. See, you got what you deserved!" Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
It is easy to take the side of the innocent and have compassion, compassion enough to want to right the wrong and comfort the afflicted, but what about the guilty? Are we to ask our Father in heaven to forgive them? Stephen would say, "Yes."
Acts 7:55-60
"Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Stephen dies with this prayer on his lips, knowing that God is a God of forgiveness. His killers' cloaks are held by Saul of Tarsus, who watches this martyrdom from a safe distance, and perhaps wonders at the words of forgiveness that usher from the mouth of a troublemaker. More than a bystander, but less than a murderer, Saul stands in need of forgiveness from God.
One wonders if Saul, who becomes Paul, often reflected upon this day when Stephen died and upon his need for God's loving forgiveness.
How many of us know that we are more than bystanders and less than murderers? How many of us participate every day in things that God would frown upon? Oh, we may not stone the prophets, but we eat our fill in a world of hunger. We fling no rocks at young men, but neither do we speak up when social systems crush the powerless. We hold no cloaks at executions, but we turn a blind eye to the social vices that claim human life every minute of every day. Would that Stephen might offer a prayer for us: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Rest assured, God longs to forgive us and redeem us for greater purposes, just as he forgave and redeemed Paul. The key to our forgiveness is our repentance.
1 Peter 2:2-10
The defeated Napoleon, one of the greatest conquerors the world has ever seen, lived out his final years as a prisoner on the tiny island of St. Helena, in the south Atlantic. Of Jesus, he had this to say, at that time in his life:
"Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour millions would die for him."
Truly, his love is the cornerstone.
1 Peter 2:2-10
In Ireland and the northeastern United States, it is common to see traditional fences made of dry-stack stone walls. Larger stones are placed at the bottom, and the wall is built up, without mortar or cement. Smaller stones are placed nearer the top, so that the wall becomes narrower as it rises. Gravity keeps the wall together, and the only cost is the cost of gathering the stones and doing the labor. Homes can be built the same way, with a bonding agent to keep the stones together or simply a mix that will keep the cold air from coming in the cracks. We have much more sophisticated ways to build with stone today, but stacking stones remains as an original form.
1 Peter 2:2-10
Drew is not what one would think of a college student. He does not attend wild, late-night parties. He shares a dormitory room with two members of his Bible study group. His quest to find a place of authentic worship has led him to a mainline church. He candidly claims that this is not the life he saw himself living when he left home for college. Nor is this the life his parents led.
More engaged in his faith than his parents, Drew takes his faith seriously. His college years allowed him to rethink what he believes. "For me," Drew explains, "accepting Jesus into my heart was not a singular moment in time; rather, it was a gradual process that took place over a couple of years. With every day, I hope to pursue Jesus more and more."
At family gatherings, Drew says he sometimes feels uncomfortable. His aunts and uncles only talk to him about religion while his cousins tease him about not drinking alcohol. He does not want his family to see him as "holier-than-thou." "They see my actions," he says of going to church and carrying his Bible home on breaks.
The apostle Peter advises, "Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
1 Peter 2:2-10
When the new church was built upon the ruins of the old church, a cornerstone was set in place. It was a special cornerstone, in that inside the stone was a copy of the list of the charter members of the congregation, a photo of the old church, a pictorial directory of the present congregation, a congregational history, and Psalm 23 taken from the altar Bible, that although badly burned in the fire still preserved several pages. The stone was engraved with these words: I am laying in Zion a cornerstone, chosen and precious. Who knows how long this church building will last? One day it will fall, and people will recover from the cornerstone a record of that congregation.
Jesus is the cornerstone upon which we, God's own people, are built. He is a sure and solid stone.
John 14:1-14
In the original Greek, the gospel of John doesn't use the nouns "faith" or "belief," only the verb, meaning "to trust in, rely upon, place one's confidence in." John's gospel leaves us with "believing in" or "faithing in." Jesus states that his students already place their confidence in God. Now he tells them to place their confidence in him -- no matter the troubles around them or within them.
Kirsopp Lake nailed down the "active" part of faith, "Faith is not belief in spite of evidence, but life in scorn of consequences." Martin Luther exhibited the confidence of biblical faith, "As I sit and sip my little mug of Wittenburg beer, the good news of Jesus Christ runs its course." E. Stanley Jones reported a bishop up late worrying about his congregations. He believed that God spoke to him, "Now Billy, you go to sleep; let me sit up and worry."
John 14:1-14
"Do not let your hearts be troubled." According to John's gospel, Jesus said this in the upper room just after Judas departed the supper on his betrayal mission. Once Judas left, Jesus began preparing the disciples for the ominous events at hand. He readied them by telling them that he'd be with them "only a little longer" and that he had a new command for them -- "love one another."
Jesus' statements about going to a place where they couldn't go baffled the disciples. Peter offered his usual bravado about going everywhere with Jesus, but Jesus made it clear that Peter had no idea what lay ahead. Authoritative statements like that trouble us because we prefer certainty. We want to know that our future is secure. In this world it can never be. We don't despair, though, because Jesus knows the world to come and has places prepared for us if we trust him. To paraphrase a popular hymn, we don't know the future, but we know who holds the future.
The 22-year-old daughter of Bob and Goldie Bristol was raped and killed. Such things happen too often. Although it's horrifying, it's not out of the ordinary. What was different about the whole painful experience is that Bob and Goldie were finally allowed to visit her killer in prison; and when they did, they forgave him.
Goldie wrote a book, When It's Hard to Forgive. She reported their daughter's death and their visiting and forgiving the murderer. They recalled speaking at meetings about the experience, and they were surprised how often people were hostile to them, frequently attacking them as unfeeling and accusing them of betraying their daughter's worth and memory. People accused them of being unloving and naive in approaching society's problems.
Only some sort of "vision" of God's glory such as Stephen saw can lead to forgiving such as Stephen did.
Acts 7:55-60
Nearly every time I play racquetball, one of my opponents catches me on the backside with a ball. I've been hit on the head, my legs, and just about everywhere in between. It's usually my fault. The player in front is supposed to allow a lane for his/her opponent to hit through. If you don't get out of the way, a rubber ball rocketing up to 100+ miles per hour smacks you. Though they smart some, I'm usually proud of those stinging bruises. They make me feel macho.
I can't imagine the pain from having a large rock hit me, however, followed by a pummeling of stones thrown by passionately irate men. Stephen died from angrily thrown stones. In the midst of his pain, he asked God to forgive the throwers. He wasn't trying to be macho. Neither did he fume with resentment. Jesus' love in him pardoned his killers. I pray for that kind of love.
Acts 7:55-60
In the checkout line, a young girl reaches for a candy bar. Her mother grabs her, and when the four-year-old struggles, the mother delivers a sharp slap. The child begins to cry. Everyone stops to gawk as the child is being shaken and scolded for wanting candy. "I told you not to touch anything. See, you got what you deserved!" Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
It is easy to take the side of the innocent and have compassion, compassion enough to want to right the wrong and comfort the afflicted, but what about the guilty? Are we to ask our Father in heaven to forgive them? Stephen would say, "Yes."
Acts 7:55-60
"Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Stephen dies with this prayer on his lips, knowing that God is a God of forgiveness. His killers' cloaks are held by Saul of Tarsus, who watches this martyrdom from a safe distance, and perhaps wonders at the words of forgiveness that usher from the mouth of a troublemaker. More than a bystander, but less than a murderer, Saul stands in need of forgiveness from God.
One wonders if Saul, who becomes Paul, often reflected upon this day when Stephen died and upon his need for God's loving forgiveness.
How many of us know that we are more than bystanders and less than murderers? How many of us participate every day in things that God would frown upon? Oh, we may not stone the prophets, but we eat our fill in a world of hunger. We fling no rocks at young men, but neither do we speak up when social systems crush the powerless. We hold no cloaks at executions, but we turn a blind eye to the social vices that claim human life every minute of every day. Would that Stephen might offer a prayer for us: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Rest assured, God longs to forgive us and redeem us for greater purposes, just as he forgave and redeemed Paul. The key to our forgiveness is our repentance.
1 Peter 2:2-10
The defeated Napoleon, one of the greatest conquerors the world has ever seen, lived out his final years as a prisoner on the tiny island of St. Helena, in the south Atlantic. Of Jesus, he had this to say, at that time in his life:
"Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour millions would die for him."
Truly, his love is the cornerstone.
1 Peter 2:2-10
In Ireland and the northeastern United States, it is common to see traditional fences made of dry-stack stone walls. Larger stones are placed at the bottom, and the wall is built up, without mortar or cement. Smaller stones are placed nearer the top, so that the wall becomes narrower as it rises. Gravity keeps the wall together, and the only cost is the cost of gathering the stones and doing the labor. Homes can be built the same way, with a bonding agent to keep the stones together or simply a mix that will keep the cold air from coming in the cracks. We have much more sophisticated ways to build with stone today, but stacking stones remains as an original form.
1 Peter 2:2-10
Drew is not what one would think of a college student. He does not attend wild, late-night parties. He shares a dormitory room with two members of his Bible study group. His quest to find a place of authentic worship has led him to a mainline church. He candidly claims that this is not the life he saw himself living when he left home for college. Nor is this the life his parents led.
More engaged in his faith than his parents, Drew takes his faith seriously. His college years allowed him to rethink what he believes. "For me," Drew explains, "accepting Jesus into my heart was not a singular moment in time; rather, it was a gradual process that took place over a couple of years. With every day, I hope to pursue Jesus more and more."
At family gatherings, Drew says he sometimes feels uncomfortable. His aunts and uncles only talk to him about religion while his cousins tease him about not drinking alcohol. He does not want his family to see him as "holier-than-thou." "They see my actions," he says of going to church and carrying his Bible home on breaks.
The apostle Peter advises, "Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
1 Peter 2:2-10
When the new church was built upon the ruins of the old church, a cornerstone was set in place. It was a special cornerstone, in that inside the stone was a copy of the list of the charter members of the congregation, a photo of the old church, a pictorial directory of the present congregation, a congregational history, and Psalm 23 taken from the altar Bible, that although badly burned in the fire still preserved several pages. The stone was engraved with these words: I am laying in Zion a cornerstone, chosen and precious. Who knows how long this church building will last? One day it will fall, and people will recover from the cornerstone a record of that congregation.
Jesus is the cornerstone upon which we, God's own people, are built. He is a sure and solid stone.
John 14:1-14
In the original Greek, the gospel of John doesn't use the nouns "faith" or "belief," only the verb, meaning "to trust in, rely upon, place one's confidence in." John's gospel leaves us with "believing in" or "faithing in." Jesus states that his students already place their confidence in God. Now he tells them to place their confidence in him -- no matter the troubles around them or within them.
Kirsopp Lake nailed down the "active" part of faith, "Faith is not belief in spite of evidence, but life in scorn of consequences." Martin Luther exhibited the confidence of biblical faith, "As I sit and sip my little mug of Wittenburg beer, the good news of Jesus Christ runs its course." E. Stanley Jones reported a bishop up late worrying about his congregations. He believed that God spoke to him, "Now Billy, you go to sleep; let me sit up and worry."
John 14:1-14
"Do not let your hearts be troubled." According to John's gospel, Jesus said this in the upper room just after Judas departed the supper on his betrayal mission. Once Judas left, Jesus began preparing the disciples for the ominous events at hand. He readied them by telling them that he'd be with them "only a little longer" and that he had a new command for them -- "love one another."
Jesus' statements about going to a place where they couldn't go baffled the disciples. Peter offered his usual bravado about going everywhere with Jesus, but Jesus made it clear that Peter had no idea what lay ahead. Authoritative statements like that trouble us because we prefer certainty. We want to know that our future is secure. In this world it can never be. We don't despair, though, because Jesus knows the world to come and has places prepared for us if we trust him. To paraphrase a popular hymn, we don't know the future, but we know who holds the future.
