Easter 5
Devotional
Water From the Well
Lectionary Devotional For Cycle A
Object:
While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
-- Acts 7:59
The stoning of Stephen marked a critical transition in the story of the church. Stephen was the first of Jesus' disciples to die on behalf of the gospel. Acts made the parallel with Jesus' life and death explicit, thus making clear what it means for Christians to be Jesus' disciples. The faith Stephen proclaimed was a challenge to the orthodox faith of his day (7:1-53). The negative reaction, even fury, to what he said matched the reaction to Jesus' sermon at Nazareth (Luke 4:25-29). Stephen's final prayer, offering his spirit to God, paralleled Jesus' prayer in Luke 23:46, and his prayer that God would forgive his executioners also echoed Jesus' prayer in Luke 23:34. The challenge for Jesus' disciples in the current church is tremendous.
The purpose of our witness is to reveal the glory of God. According to Luke/Acts, the glory of God, which signifies God's active presence in the world, began with Abraham even before he came to Haran (Acts 7:2). It was manifest at Jesus' transfiguration (Luke 9:32) and the resurrection (Luke 24:26). It could be anticipated in Jesus' return (Luke 9:26 and 21:27). According to the model of Stephen, the glory of God could be seen prior to Jesus' return at significant moments of faithfulness (7:55). Stephen was seen as the model of the ideal Christian disciple. He was bold in his interpretation of scripture, fearless in his obedience to God in the face of opposition, confident of God's faithfulness even in the face of death, and loving toward his enemies.
The glory of God was made visible in Stephen's act of praying for the forgiveness of those who were stoning him. This demonstration of the grace of God in Stephen's story also provided the context for introducing Saul into the Christian story. God's grace would transform this enemy of the church into its greatest advocate. The capacity of God to overcome our sins is infinite and challenges the church to proclaim this transforming grace to the world.
-- Acts 7:59
The stoning of Stephen marked a critical transition in the story of the church. Stephen was the first of Jesus' disciples to die on behalf of the gospel. Acts made the parallel with Jesus' life and death explicit, thus making clear what it means for Christians to be Jesus' disciples. The faith Stephen proclaimed was a challenge to the orthodox faith of his day (7:1-53). The negative reaction, even fury, to what he said matched the reaction to Jesus' sermon at Nazareth (Luke 4:25-29). Stephen's final prayer, offering his spirit to God, paralleled Jesus' prayer in Luke 23:46, and his prayer that God would forgive his executioners also echoed Jesus' prayer in Luke 23:34. The challenge for Jesus' disciples in the current church is tremendous.
The purpose of our witness is to reveal the glory of God. According to Luke/Acts, the glory of God, which signifies God's active presence in the world, began with Abraham even before he came to Haran (Acts 7:2). It was manifest at Jesus' transfiguration (Luke 9:32) and the resurrection (Luke 24:26). It could be anticipated in Jesus' return (Luke 9:26 and 21:27). According to the model of Stephen, the glory of God could be seen prior to Jesus' return at significant moments of faithfulness (7:55). Stephen was seen as the model of the ideal Christian disciple. He was bold in his interpretation of scripture, fearless in his obedience to God in the face of opposition, confident of God's faithfulness even in the face of death, and loving toward his enemies.
The glory of God was made visible in Stephen's act of praying for the forgiveness of those who were stoning him. This demonstration of the grace of God in Stephen's story also provided the context for introducing Saul into the Christian story. God's grace would transform this enemy of the church into its greatest advocate. The capacity of God to overcome our sins is infinite and challenges the church to proclaim this transforming grace to the world.
