26 December 2022 Saint Stephen, the first Martyr
Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke… Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’
From Acts 6:8-10, 7:54-59, NRSV
In today’s reading we hear about the martyrdom of Stephen. It may seem strange to follow the celebration of Christ’s birth with the story of a brutal death. However, the early Church saw this not as a celebration of death but of birth into new life. Stephen had been selected to help the widows in the community but is clear that the effect of his words and actions had gone beyond his immediate responsibilities and that he had unsettled influential members of the synagogue. Empowered by the Spirit, Stephen had shown greater wisdom than these men. When they could not beat him in argument, they had others draw up false charges of blasphemy against him. This turned others against him and he was duly arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin. We are told that as the members of the Sanhedrin looked at him, Stephen’s face appeared to them like “the face of an angel” – a true messenger of God.
- Why do you think the leaders amongst the synagogue wanted to suppress Stephen?
- How do we react to those who manifest the power of the Spirit?
You may like to remember and pray for the many people who face injustice and false judgement today.
