Was lately ruminatin' (is that a word?) concerning the death of our beloved martyr, Stephen in Acts 7. It really is a profound scene, and profound message from Stephen all at the same time. Here you have Stephen, under the powerful guidance of the Holy Spirit, demonstrating Christ and His rejection from the pages of the Pentateuch. The message is so powerful, so biting, so clear that they can do no less than rush headlong at him to kill this message off the earth (though, they might have tried repentance!). If you know the story, the final straw for Stephen was his claim to see the Christ, the Son of Man (Dan. 7), standing at God's right hand. That was just too much for professional religionists, and, midst Stephen's cry for mercy on these persecutors, they stone him to death at the Eastern Gate.
Here's the rub: There was the Christ, the Messiah, standing to greet Stephen, as if in a position of honor and sustainment. With just a Word from the heavenlies he could have snuffed these tormenters, but He did no more than to receive Stephen to His bosom (don't get me wrong, if you're Stephen, that's a lot). It was in God's will for Stephen to die at that time. And, let there be no doubt about it, what a loss Stephen was to the early church at that time.
But, as usual, God is about the meta-narrative, the big picture. There, standing in the crowd, holding the robes, was one named Saul, soon to become our Paul. Had God snuffed that tormenting crowd, Paul also would have been a casualty. Who of us would have desired that? Imagine the 13 or so books of the New Testament that were embodied in that soon-to-be apostle. Imagine the gracious account of our deacon Stephen's death not happening. Imagine the early church not being strengthened by the apostle Paul, so changed by this and other events in his life.
Aahh, I'da snuffed 'em.
But God had a better idea.
He always does.
Q. Does not the Judge of the all the Earth always do right! (Gen. 18:25).
A. Yes!
Here's the rub: There was the Christ, the Messiah, standing to greet Stephen, as if in a position of honor and sustainment. With just a Word from the heavenlies he could have snuffed these tormenters, but He did no more than to receive Stephen to His bosom (don't get me wrong, if you're Stephen, that's a lot). It was in God's will for Stephen to die at that time. And, let there be no doubt about it, what a loss Stephen was to the early church at that time.
But, as usual, God is about the meta-narrative, the big picture. There, standing in the crowd, holding the robes, was one named Saul, soon to become our Paul. Had God snuffed that tormenting crowd, Paul also would have been a casualty. Who of us would have desired that? Imagine the 13 or so books of the New Testament that were embodied in that soon-to-be apostle. Imagine the gracious account of our deacon Stephen's death not happening. Imagine the early church not being strengthened by the apostle Paul, so changed by this and other events in his life.
Aahh, I'da snuffed 'em.
But God had a better idea.
He always does.
Q. Does not the Judge of the all the Earth always do right! (Gen. 18:25).
A. Yes!
No comments:
Post a Comment