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When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Matthew 10:19-20)
Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59; Psalm 31:3-4,6-8,17,21; Matthew 10:17-22
After all the celebrations of the Prince of Peace, we are faced with the tale of the first Christian martyr. How sobering a shift! We are called to acknowledge that the peace Jesus came to give us was won at a very dear price: his blood, and the blood of all the martyrs down through the ages. From the very beginning, we learn that true peace can only come as we embrace the one who died in our place and allow his cross to penetrate our lives.
How wonderfully did Stephen reflect these truths! As he told Stephen’s story, Luke placed special emphasis on Stephen’s resemblance to Jesus. He was full of grace and power; he performed great signs and wonders; he spoke with the wisdom of the Spirit (Acts 6:8,10). As…
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