And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel. (Acts 6:8-15 ESV)
Have you ever had someone or a group of someones come after you? Maybe because you were saying things or said you believed things that were different than them? In the above reading from Acts, Stephen is speaking of God, of Jesus and those who are members of the synagogue don’t like it because they do not believe him. The do not believe Jesus is the messiah and they think that Stephen should be silenced.
So when they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking they plotted against him and said he was speaking against God and Moses… Not a very nice thing to do. I’m sure someone has said that I was doing that to them at some point. We can not point fingers at our neighbors because it is not our place to judge another. Our’s is to stand in the gap with God and speak what he has asked us to do.
Most of us will never have to face what Stephen had to face (although some of us will think we have come really close!). Stephen was stoned to death for his belief in Jesus, and he stood in the gap. God asks you to stand in the gap and speak the truth even in the face of danger and possible stoning. God will be with you, so are you ready to stand with God?
aSacredRebel 