Stephen is called the proto-martyr, the first martyr. St. Luke tells the story of his death deliberately modeling it on the death of Jesus. The crowd turns on him because of his claim of intimacy with God. “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” He forgives his enemies as Jesus did. “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” He surrenders himself into the hands of God. “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Stephen’s martyrdom provides a powerful model for the early Church. Faith in Jesus did not mean that all problems were done away with. In fact, belief in Jesus might even cause one more grief. (Try being compassionate and forgiving in a dog eat dog world.) But no matter what you are going through because of Jesus the troubles do not get the last word. As Jesus says in the gospel of John he came to “give life to the world.”
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By Church Staff
