The Feast of Stephen

This was the Sunday where we commemorate the martyrdom of St. Stephen.  And St. Stephen was the first Christian martyr, the one who went to his death for his faith.  Before the rest of the disciples, before the rest of the apostles, before the noble army of martyrs, there was St. Stephen.  And Stephen went to his death by speaking out to the synagogue, and he knew what the results would be.

Now, you may have heard by now of the execution of Clayton Lockett.  Mr. Lockett, after being tried and sentenced for this crimes, underwent what is being referred to as a 'botched execution.'  This was a major issue, because most everyone is searching for a painless, humane way to execute criminals, that causes no suffering and no pain.  And ostensibly, Mr. Lockett's execution was nothing like that.

There has been an effort in place to find a much more humane way to execute criminals, more humane than hanging, firing squad, and gas chamber.  There have been enough stories about executions that have gone less than perfectly, that have caused pain, that have caused agony, that have caused decapitations, and all that, to try and find a much more humane method of execution.  There have been some who have determined that hypoxia is the most humane way to execute criminals, determining that it causes no pain, and in fact, causes slight euphoria.  As has been said in the documentary above, it's 'a hell of a way to go.'  Painless, and lethal 100% of the time.

Now, the good people of Stephen's time weren't too concerned about that.  Capital punishment back then was astonishingly unpleasant, and was designed to be.  You wanted those whom you were killing to suffer, for it to be an agonizing death.  Take crucifixion, for example.  You didn't want to be crucified.  In fact, crucifixion is, by nature, excruciating, with the word meaning 'from the cross.'  If you were executed by the Roman government, being nailed to a cross was a bad way to go.  You were lifted up in front of the crowds in order that everyone might know that the Roman government was not to be trifled with.

Stoning, not really much different.  Of all its merits of not being able to ascribe the killing blow to any one person, it is essentially death by torture.  It's painful, drawn out, and remarkably unpleasant.  And lest you think that this method of execution is not only barbaric but outdated, I would like to remind you that Brunei popped stoning back into their law books in 2013, and in Indonesia in 2009.  This is still happening in the world, and remains as unpleasant as it ever was.

And this is what Stephen voluntarily walked into.  He knew what was going to happen, that he was going to be brought up on blasphemy charges, and the synagogue were going to assemble, and pick up rocks.  And, as I said on Sunday, when the entire congregation gets together and gathers rocks, it's not because they're going to do some zeroscaping.  And Stephen approaches this with a lack of fear that you or I would expect.  We would expect him to do what Peter did, which was to lie and flee to save himself.

Peter's performance when it came to representing Christ was hardly stellar.  The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak.  He said to Jesus that even if they had to kill him as well, that he would never desert his Lord.  And that ended up being not true. Peter was quick to abandon Jesus out of fear of execution.  And so were the other disciples, quick to flee their Lord on account of the possibility of death and punishment.  They fled, they took their balls and went home, and they got out of dodge.  And they all went and fled and then went back to their lives, assuming that nobody would figure out that they were involved.  They stayed where they were , doors locked, for fear of those who would kill the body.

It's important to know that the disciples were cowardly.  They were cowardly like we are cowardly.  They had a faith in Jesus that had been tested, and they were found wanting.  When Jesus was led away, they fled.  They weren't towering figures of faith and majesty in the way we've constructed them since.  They were largely spineless, being paper tigers, talking a good game, seeming to be threatening, but ultimately folding as soon as they were opposed.  This is an issue that actually does us good, because the disciples are human beings like we are.  They get scared, and when they get scared, they run.  Their faith is something that they can hide and put away, in order that nobody would find out something that may lead to their deaths.

But wait.  In the book of Acts, those craven cowards become incredibly brave, even and especially when staring down certain death.  All of a sudden, the paper tigers become real tigers, unafraid by all the various tools and tricks that the Romans, and even the Sanhedrin, might offer.  You can often tell the sculpture of the various Saints by way of what they're holding

This is Saint Peter.  He is holding an upside down cross, which is what he is said to have been martyred on.



















Here's Matthias, holding an axe.  Why is he holding an axe?  Was he a woodsman?  Or was he, perhaps, stoned, and then beheaded, in Jerusalem?

This is St. John, holding a cup in his hands that has a serpent coming out of it, because, even though it didn't kill him, he was poisoned.  You can also tell it's John because of the Eagle sitting by his side.  St. John almost always has an eagle with him.










I hope you're beginning to get my point, which is that while Jesus was being slain, the disciples were terrified.  After his resurrection, they believed in a more powerful, tangiable way, in their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They believe in the words that Jesus had spoken to them, that they ought not be afraid of those who can kill the body.

After the resurrection, they proclaimed their faith boldly and proudly, with little fear and trepidation, and all the tricks of the Roman government began to work against them. After all, what possible punishment can you level against someone who is not afraid to die?  The answer:  Nothing

Without the resurrection, there would be no chance for Peter, James, John, Matthais, Stephen, any of them, to boldly cling to their position even in the face of death and loudly proclaim the messiah.  And they proved it before his death, they were weak, they were afraid.  They definitely were in fear of those who could kill the body.  After his resurrection, though, something changed in them.  They were no longer afraid of death, and it showed.  That's our legacy now.

Do we live up to it?  Not usually, because we're cowards, just like they were.  We claim to represent Jesus faithfully up to and including the point of death, but we flake, we do.  But there is something else behind all that, which says that is is that kind of sin that Jesus died for.  He didn't just die for the other sins, like adultery, murder and slander.  He died for our cowardice, too.  As he did for Peter, who had denied him three times, and yet was reinstated, Jesus tacitly tells him that it was for this that he died. Because we are weak, not because we are strong.

The resurrection remains a big deal because if we die with him in a death like his, we will surely be reunited with him in a resurrection like his.  The disciples saw this, and were gladdened and motivated, and sincerely believed that death itself was no longer a barrier to them.  And they faced their deaths with gladness, unafraid, because of the truth of the resurrection of Christ.

PJ.