Inner defilement – Mark 7:20-23 (February 27, 2012)

Scripture:

Mark 7:20-23  He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them.  For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.  All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Observation:

Jesus was countering the accusation levied at His disciples by the Jewish religious leaders.  His disciples did not wash properly prior to eating and it offended them.   But Jesus confronted the utter hypocrisy of their objection by exposing the true intent of their hearts – for personal gain and control of others.  And He brought up the banning of certain foods as part of the Orthodox Jewish diet (which was clearly in the Torah).  He pointed out that nothing from the outside can make a person unclean, but only what comes from the inside.  Then He spoke the words above.  In this elaboration an expansive list of vices is cited with each one having a root inside the internal workings of a person’s “heart” or inner person.  In fact, the list is one of acts committed, but of acts considered.  Jesus was pointing to the premeditation of all kinds of selfish and destructive works.   It is this central, motivating thought life that Jesus targets throughout His teaching and ministry.  He approached many whom the Pharisees had long written off, knowing that once the inner person was cleansed, the outer deeds would likewise be changed for the good.  In this list He was also citing a direct witness against the people who were accusing Him.  These distinct thoughts were present within them, and they knew it, or would know it.  This was an example of the convicting power of the Holy Spirit early on.  And He would elaborate on many of these in the days to come.

Application:

What of my inner person?  Where do my thoughts go?  If I call Jesus my Lord then I must know my Lord is not interested in mere performance, that evil which I finally commit because I have reached my boiling point.  No, the root of each foul act lies in my thoughts.  Have I forgiven others?  Have I regained peace after a loss or a trial?  Have I turned my eyes from temptation when failure to do so will clearly draw me into compromise?  This inner work may seem to be common sense, but do I do it?  Or do I instead live with choice thoughts simmering on the back burner of my mind for mental pre-emptive strikes the next time I am offended or go through difficulty?  Oh the games my mind plays!!

And do I grade others solely upon the outer workings of their lives?  It exhibits far more integrity for someone to wear their feelings on their sleeve, albeit while learning self-control, because there is honesty there that God can work with.  It is the actor that makes him/herself unavailable, for s/he knows his/her lines and entrances, exits and calm actions.  I should not be surprised when one appearing so “together” finally snaps, for it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.

Prayer:

Father, let me live in integrity, allowing You to shine Your light on the inside.  I confess there’s a lot of work to be done there, but I also know You have the power to heal and change me.  Do it I pray, in Jesus’ name, amen.

The unforgiveable sin – Mark 3:28-30 (February 25, 2012)

Scripture:

Mark 3:28-30 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”  He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”

Observation:

For those who opposed (and still oppose) Jesus, it was (is) important to identify the power by which He performed miracles.  To admit that God was working in and through Him would be to admit that He was Who He said He was – God’s Son.  So, His adversaries concluded that it must be Satan providing the power to do the signs and wonders.  In their eyes, the miraculous was indisputable but the source of the miraculous was up for grabs.  Jesus countered that if Satan opposed Satan then his kingdom could not stand, for he would be undoing his own work.  Then Jesus followed with the words above.  So heinous was the sin that claimed this power came from the kingdom of darkness that it was unforgiveable eternally.   Jesus gave examples of all kinds of things spoken by people that would be forgiven, including slander and other verbal sins as well as acts of the flesh.  But this was blasphemy against the Holy Spirit – attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to the devil.  Though this was a specific dialog, this blasphemy was not a onetime event – these people were eternally opposed to the message of Jesus, from the time they first saw the work of God performed before their eyes through the last time they heard the gospel preached after Jesus had died and resurrected.  They would never receive grace, for they denied what was clearly displayed.  To them, the message had no meaning since it proceeded from one who was demon possessed.  But of course they had the loftiest opinion of their own standing before God.  They believed that THEY had the goods, the doctrine, the teaching and the lifestyle, that exemplified heaven and brought salvation.  How foolish and tragic.

Application:

When I observe a miracle, or even something admirable and remarkable, where does the glory go?  Certainly there are those who work hard to achieve things, but if I believe that God is the Giver of all good things, then all good things point straight to Him.  It’s not that my salvation is stake, but that of someone else could definitely be impacted by my glory-giving.  That includes perhaps most dramatically my glory-taking.  I love the athlete who points skywards when a touchdown is scored or homerun hit.  Where do I point?  I do not want to don false humility, but I also do not want to fail take credit for grace, even common grace.  “Thank you Jesus” spoken too often or too trivially will actually do damage to the reputation of faith.  But let me find those expressions that say it the way the people in my life need to see it, not just hear it.  A faith that works is one that is practical and authentic.  I may think that sharing my doubts may damage the prospect of faith in others, but actually seeing the triumph of faith over those doubts will show a pathway for them in THEIR doubts.  Showing my humble frailty will allow them to be frail as well.  This is all to articulate the One to Whom I ascribe all glory.

As for those who believe they have committed the unpardonable sin, the adage holds that since they are concerned, then they clearly have NOT committed it.  The finality of the pronouncement of Jesus is devastating but also carries a pervading sense of destiny with it.  Woe to me if I make such a judgment, saying this one or that one is hell-destined.  But woe to me if I ignore the fact that there is such judgment and give an admonishing witness of it in my life.  In the end there is eternity to face; just go to a funeral (and Lord, there have been too many of those recently) to see it.  The soul that lives on walks in glory only by faith in the shed blood of Jesus.  The decision and the destination are each binary.

Prayer:

Father, I thank You for the sobering message offered by Jesus.  Though He pronounced doom for the foes of heaven, He pronounced reward for its friends.  Let me be an ever-more-faithful friend, doing the work set before me in advance and warning those who will listen.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Correction in the deadly valley – Psalm 23:4 (February 20, 2012)

Scripture:

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Observation:

The picture is that of a flock of sheep, with one of the sheep specifically relating its experience (since sheep can communicate like that).  The flock proceeds into very dangerous territory.  It is dark and in the shadow lurk all manner of enemies and predators; that is certain.  All the sheep know it and death is constantly only a moment away.  Yet this particular sheep has a unique perspective.  He has no fear of any such calamity.  And the difference in that sheep’s viewpoint is the confident knowledge that the shepherd is present intimately and for his specific, personal protection.  The utensils of the shepherd – his rod and staff – are a source of comfort to this sheep.  These tools are correctional, used to guide the flock in the direction the shepherd would choose.  The concept is that the shepherd sees things the sheep do NOT and therefore the direction provided is the pathway of life through the territory of death.  The choice to trust in the guidance of the shepherd is not one-time; it is ongoing.  A sheep could wistfully decide to stray off the path and away from the flock, finding something tempting or just “of interest” in the shadows.  That would be the end of that sheep, so David, as the obedient sheep, finds comfort in the prodding of the rod and yanking of the crook.  Of course this was applied to David’s life almost as soon as it was sung.  His flight from treacherous murderers took more than a decade through all kinds of perilous regions and circumstances.  And he needed to seek God’s direction throughout that period; his life depended upon it.  The unpleasant correction he received would ultimately serve as part of his salvation and deliverance.  What a story!

Application:

There is danger I do not perceive.  Where are my dark valleys?  Do I even know when I am in peril?  Do I perceive it, and if I do, do I take it seriously?  Or do I roll with the perspective of the world around me, complaining about the way the wind blows this day or that?  If I am God’s then I have a shepherd who will lead me if I heed His corrective hand.  If not, I can certainly flee, or just say I didn’t hear or that it wasn’t confirmed or offer any number of good-sounding arguments to explain myself.  But I dwell in peril, even if I choose not to see it.

Do I trust like this?  Can I say that I fear no evil, or do I rehearse and recite all the evil that terrifies me constantly?  No, it doesn’t come out as fearful talk, trembling behind what might happen should events turn against me.  Instead it comes out as aggressive, harsh criticism of individuals and groups that threaten me, at least in my mind.  If they are right and are allowed to have influence unto their success, then my estate, my ideology and my philosophy will suffer deadly loss, or so I conclude.  In that way I fight the change that God would bring to me as part of my salvation and make enemies of those who God sent my way to help me walk in His Way.  Where have I done this?  Where have I resisted the rod and staff of correction, even if it was brought with the malice and pride that people so often wrap their stances and direction in (or where I have only perceived that malice and pride)?  Truly I need to sift things in prayer to find God’s heart, to truly listen to my Good Shepherd and come to the end of my own wandering.

Am I gifted?  That is good, for He is the Giver.  But should I serve the gift and not Him, I again dwell perilously.  Where gifts would lead me towards early reward I need to learn the deferral God fashions where heaven is the goal and destination.  Do I have faith that accommodates that?  If not, I need that kind of faith.

Prayer:

Father it is Your will that I learn the disciplined life, for I call myself a disciple after all.  Grant that I might see the peril of not heeding Your voice.  Have mercy and patience with Your sheep, for I am only one among Your great flock.  And grant that I can likewise learn to communicate Your will and the need to obey.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Identifying with my human accuser – Acts 24:14-16 (February 17, 2012)

Scripture:

Acts 24:14-16 However, I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.  So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

Observation:

Paul was being accused before Antonius Felix, the governor of Judea.  The leader of the accusing party, Ananias, had brought multiple witnesses and a lawyer with him to mount the prosecution.  The charges were too general and non-substantiated to be taken seriously.  When Paul made his defense, he mostly cited his similarity to his accusers.  The difference was in his admission above – that he followed the Way which was a name the early Christians gave to their life of discipleship.  However, Paul pointed out that his faith in Christ was in keeping with the ancient holy writings that these Jewish leaders held as holy.  The Law of Moses and the Prophets were and are the written foundation and history of Judaism.  And there was nothing contrary in what Paul believed; he could prove it and his accusers knew it.  As a Pharisee, he believed – even before becoming a Christian – that there would be a resurrection from the dead.  And these men (at least some of them) believed the same.  That being the case it was logical and constituted a life of spiritual integrity to pursue and obtain righteousness.  Paul’s “conscience” was burdened, we know, by an urge to let everyone know about Christ.  So it was in keeping with that conscience that he lived and shared the good news.  Now, the “elephant in the room,” the unspoken (in this passage) controversy, was the identity of Jesus.  These men had every interest in keeping Jesus as a misguided martyr, slain for his insolence in declaring he was the Christ.  And in that, Paul was a supreme threat because he would not only prove Jesus was God’s Son through the very scriptures these men held as holy, but he was anointed to demonstrate the power of his message through miracles and answered prayer.  In essence, he had the true spiritual authority these men lacked.

Application:

Do I make myself so different from others so as to alienate them from my life and daily existence?  That is wrong – I am NOT so different in my life’s workings than any human.  My motivation and goals may be radically different, but it would benefit me and the cause of Christ to tear down cultural and tribal walls built up by years of growing isolation and even animosity.  Paul was appealing to Felix as his judge but also as a prospective believer.  How great an ally would the Governor of Judea be in the life of the church?  Though faith is not logic-based – indeed sometimes it opposes logic – its basis can be explained logically.  The evidence of things unseen can hardly be proven in court, but when what is hoped for materializes, the logician must scramble for an alternative yet suddenly contemporary explanation of the truth the person of faith has held for years.  Do I have logic as a friend or an enemy?  It needn’t be an enemy if I can wield it.  But I must be careful not to lean on it, for it splinters like a rotting crutch under competitive scrutiny.  Do I believe, having the “same hope in God as these men themselves have,” such that I can identify with tenets of other faiths, drawing parallels and potentially making friends of enemies?  Or do I simply put up blinders, failing to even listen to the claims of other faiths and creeds?  God has provided pointers to Christ in all things if people will look.  But it is mine to help them look, and to do that I need to learn what they believe, what they hope for and how it motivates them.  Then, like Paul, I can keep my conscience clear before God and man, for I have shut no one out and been no one’s enemy.  God has enemies, it is true, and they will militate against my faith – my soul knows that well – but as far as it depends upon me, may I be at peace with all people.

Prayer:

Father I thank You for this episode in legal wrangling, that I may learn from it and apply it to the work of the gospel.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

JUBILEE ! – Leviticus 25:13 (February 15, 2012)

Scripture:

Leviticus 25:13 In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to their own property.

Observation:

The Law of Moses came complete with a “do over” policy.  If family-owned property – including family members themselves – had been acquired to pay debts or just to survive, then that property was to be returned to the family, to carry on the legacy of the family name through land ownership.  Likewise, all debt the family had incurred was to be forgiven and forgotten.  This was to take place during the “Year of Jubilee,” which took place every fifty years.  Prices were to be set based upon time to the next Jubilee. Since the property was to revert to original ownership, its value would be less the closer Jubilee was.  The indentured servitude that would occur could take family members and separate them and/or move them far from their home territory.  Jubilee might then include a migration back “home” for the disenfranchised to reclaim whatever had been lost.  The picture of physical restoration is both profound and poignant.  But also, debts incurred through any number of financial dealings could be a crushing burden on a family, where paying back what was owed could consume the majority of household income.  The proverbial truth that “the borrower is servant to the lender” still rings true concerning anyone being “in the hole” or “upside down” in a loan or mortgage.  This debt also would be erased during Jubilee and the person free to fiscally remake him/herself.   Since debt can become a way of life and a sinking cycle, there was an opportunity here to learn from mistakes and practice thrift and frugality that would never be afforded to someone under the burden of paying back what was owed.

Application:

Sadly there is no record in scripture of Jubilee ever being celebrated.  It remained as a principal and the forced exile of God’s people was in part a way to force the poor to be released from their shackles.  Jubilee was celebrated in the Middle Ages by Christians, though it was spiritualized.  And that is its highest expression in the life of the believer in Christ.  Jesus has, through His blood, declared Jubilee over the earth, forgiveness of the debt of sin and the restoration of relationship and birthright to those of faith.  The outworking of this truth could well exceed the Mosaic mandate to free those indebted to one.  But first that one who frees must first recognize his/her debt to God.  Am I aware of that?  Do I know the cost of my sin and arrogance?  Or do I go around in willful ignorance, comparing my relative righteousness – always using rules I concoct – to that of others.  No, I am a penniless debtor before the Lord.  That is where I MUST start and return repeatedly, for I repeatedly sin.  Having received my Jubilee, I then must give it to others, or else mine is null and void.  Indeed the fastest way to lose my freedom is to deny freedom to others.  So I risk all manner of loss in forgiving others their debts, whether it is financial or just owing me apologies or favors.  It’s all forgiven, all banished from thought and consideration.  This includes interest, meaning money owed on top of money or the interest of holding someone inferior whom I forgave.  Do I do that?  Do I let people up from what they owe me?  Have I myself received the Jubilee of Christ?  If so -and I know I have at some level –let me shout Jubilee throughout my life to everyone by forgiving.  Financial systems would not collapse if this were constituted, they would just reformulate.  Likewise, my life’s calculations simply need revision, not erasure.  Have I been sinned against?  Absolutely!  (to my shame I count those more carefully than those I have done).  Let me note that, with its pain and effect, however long term, and move on.  This is not a call to masochism, returning to the place of injury and loss.  But it is a call to restoration, the only way restoration can really happen.

Prayer:

Lord, JUBILEE!  Let me say it, and love it and walk in it.  You have made my feet to dance this day.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Ministry to the unclean – Leviticus 13:45-46 (February 10, 2012)

Scripture:

Leviticus 13:45-46 Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’   As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.

Observation:

The ordinances given the people of Israel concerning infectious skin diseases were both necessary and healthful for the community.  In an age where medicine was folk technology and contracting illnesses often a death sentence, it was beneficial to keep such disease apart from the general population.  For that reason, people with leprosy, dermatitis or any of many skin diseases were to be set apart from the community.  Certainly other plagues are recorded that were likely influenza or chronic conditions of the respiratory system, but since the skin disease could be easily seen, those with the infection were targeted for quarantine.  But together with the physical separation came a separation of shame.  They needed to “look the part” so others would avoid them.  Wearing torn clothing, keeping their hair disheveled and their lower face covered were clear signals to others that one was approaching that should be avoided.  The thought of the ostracism of a former full-fledged, high-standing member of the community to be plunged into this existence shows the real damage done by the disease.  The cry: “Unclean! Unclean!” was heard even up to the time of Jesus.  Its proclamation was often falsely tied to sin of the sufferer or his/her family, anything to single out the person and give the illusion that the disease could not happen to “us” or “me” (whoever “us”and “me” were).  Since there was no cure for these conditions, unless the Lord interceded, this would be the end of the life of the sick person as a worthwhile human being.  Their isolation “outside the camp” was perhaps more tolerable than their isolation from their dearest loved ones.  This was a hard rule, but one that would keep disease away from the masses nonetheless.

Application:

I must, I MUST resist the spirit of this law.  The ministry of Father Damien Day, who ministered to the lepers isolated to the island of Molokai, Hawaii and contracting the disease himself unto his death, shows the heart of Jesus towards this practice.  Of course Jesus healed lepers, I have that and rejoice in His power and pray without ceasing for the healing of those I know of.   I also rejoice in the development of cures to these maladies though certainly many remain incurable.  It is a shameful part of my culture that we still separate the diseased.  We don’t dress them funny and make them holler their state for everyone to hear.   But we certainly don’t listen to their suffering hearts either; we stay far from death and dying until we have to go there ourselves.  Oh, let me go to them, let me hug them and lend them my ear and my heart.  Let me record their stories and know their pain.  I remember AIDS patients in the 80s who were among the angriest sufferers I have known.  Their complaint: they had done things resulting in their death that others had done and were still doing with impunity and immunity.  My society throws these people away just as ancient Israel did, not because of the fear of infection but because their story doesn’t have a happy ending.  Or does it?  If I believe in the next life, in the power of Jesus Christ to raise believing people from the dead unto His eternal kingdom, then I must work to make their endings happy ones.  There  .. is .. always .. hope.  If I believe nothing else, it is that God saves and delivers from the second death.  And knowing that, I must do whatever I can to bring that life into this one through thought, word and deed.  Let me be as diligent in this as I am in doing any work-a-day toil, communicating everlasting life to the dying.  For certainly we will all die some day.

Prayer:

Father I thank You for this brusque reminder of what life is like without grace, the loveless rule of law that can deepen rather than relieve suffering.  Grant me a path that runs counter to this shame, that I might see You as the lifter of the heads of those who are put down like this.  In Jesus’ name, come and save, Hosanna!  Amen.

Core instructions for the church – Acts 15:29 (February 8, 2012)

Scripture:

Acts 15:29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

Observation:

The Church was divided concerning the Mosaic ordinance of circumcision.  There were some former Pharisees that insisted that believers in Jesus Christ still needed to be circumcised to be a part of the people of God.  But Paul and Barnabas came to Jerusalem with testimony of God’s move among the uncircumcised Gentiles in their ministry, how the Holy Spirit had fallen upon them exactly as it had on the Jewish believers at the Day of Pentecost.  So, the church leadership adopted a stance that circumcision would NOT be a part of the behavioral requirements to be a part of the Church of Jesus Christ.  In the words of James, the biological brother of Jesus “we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.”  So a letter to the Gentile churches was drafted, including the statement above.  This is the only behavioral “law” that was passed to them.  “Food sacrificed to idols” was a compromise of faith.  “Blood” and “meat of strangled animals” were two prohibitions from the Law of Moses and “sexual immorality” (Gk. “pornea”) encompassed a wide swath of behavior OTHER than heterosexual relations between husband and wife.  Absent is tithing, the many and varied sacrificial rites and the entirety of civil tenets of Moses.  Tithing was replaced by the belief and practice of giving everything to God, not by cutting back.  The sacrifices were replaced once and for all by that of Christ.  And the civil law was unnecessary since believers practiced the golden rule.  The seeming relaxation of requirements was actually a welcomed simplification, therefore, and the Gentiles were far less encumbered with memorizing and following the minutia of the body of Law that had accumulated from Moses to Jesus (including the Talmud).

Application:

Do I put performance rules on my own life that surpass these?  It is no sin to do so, and when led by the Spirit it is even required to do so.  But these rules are “it” from the first century perspective.  The one that most applies today is abstaining from sexual immorality.  This sin has become ever more pervasive over the centuries and now with the internet broadcasting all manner of stimulation and lure; it must be likewise fought with increasing measures of avoidance, repentance and deliverance.  Likewise, are there behavioral expectations I put on others, exceeding these and coming from my own measurement of righteousness and conformity with the cultural Western church?  If so, I must get back to basics and pare down my list.  For God has saved me by grace and my life in Christ springs from that, not from a desire to please God in order to EARN favor.  By no means does that relax righteousness, it simply makes excellent its motives.  So as certainly as I come to the light to be exposed I must also export the light to all around me, showing the fruit of holy liberty (now, THERE is an apparent oxymoron).  The law of love is simple but impossible to fulfill apart from the indwelling Holy Spirit.  With Him, though, I will overcome the world even as Jesus did.  Hallelujah!

Prayer:

Father, help me live in the law of love, knowing the proper response to Your love for me.  Let mercy, grace and righteousness flow in and through me this day, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Confronting the ruling tribe – Acts 7:51-53 (February 1, 2012)

Scripture:

Acts 7:51-53 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

Observation:

Stephen’s long speech before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council of Elders, takes most of Acts 7 to relate.  It is a recounting of the history of Israel, through the lives of the Patriarchs proceeding to the then-present day.  Then he raised his voice and yelled the zinger above.  In review, the history had been one highlighting the disobedience and obstinacy of the people of Israel to the revealed will and purpose of God.  Now members of the Sanhedrin were used to citing the disobedience of the people; it was one of their favorite topics.  But Stephen wasn’t talking about laity; he was talking about the ruling clergy.  Stephen united them in purpose with the rebellious ones that came before.  And their crime was not just dissension or disobedience to God’s plan; they persecuted and murdered those God sent to help and save them.  The convicting voices of the prophets had been met with derision and deadly violence.  Those who had “predicted the coming of the Righteous one” had been sent for centuries but the most recent voice of that type had belonged to John, son of Zechariah, born of the family of the high priest but despised as he called the nation – including its religious intelligentsia – to a baptism of repentance.  His beheading had been accomplished by Herod, but it was hardly lamented by these rulers.  Stephen’s final phrase cited the sacred origin of their Law – from God through angels.  And though it was given from heaven, their disobedience stood as a testimony against both them and the place they ruled.  So the testimony about Stephen speaking against “this place” was proven reliable and his fate was sealed with this outburst.  He would immediately take his place among the martyrs slain by tribal religion.  Gone were the restraints that made the ruling authorities need the Romans to execute someone; they would follow the lead Stephen had laid out in his story.

Application:

Calling the ruling tribe a bunch of self-righteous unholy murderers was going to make them angry.  Stephen knew this going into his trial.  In my fear, do I shrink away from calling a spade a spade?  For sure Stephen had a unique point in history and a place in which to speak.  But his confidence must inspire every believer confronted with open crime and sins that are so obviously destructive.  Speaking out and speaking up are called for at times.  Do I even ask God for how and when to do that?  I have, and I have spoken and written, but have I stopped doing that?  I must get back into fighting the good fight, showing people what has been exposed all the while maintaining my humility.  And if I am spoken TO – that is, if I am a member of the Sanhedrin in this spectacle – do I go tribal and defend human institutions, doing violence of word and deed and even condoning the spilling of blood?  Do I allow healthy criticism of my clubs and associations, my cliques and circles?  Or do I protect them with counter-attacks, shooting barbs that accuse and belittle the outsider?  Taken properly, even a harsh word can point out  a legitimate shortcoming and show the need for something to be addressed, even urgently.  It’s interesting that at least one of those who would give ascent to his death for this “insolence” was Saul of Tarsus, who would later hear Stephen’s words for the truth they contained and even repeat them with ever more eloquence in his epistles.  In a way, Saul would replace Stephen on this scene with an even larger party of Jewish zealots out to kill him.  So I should not expect anyone to drop what doing to follow me as I follow Christ, cutting a path that runs cross-grain to what is customary and expected.  I can know that someone (in fact many people) is (are) watching and entrust the whole thing to God who calls apostles out from the fishing nets.

Prayer:

Father, I am humbled by Stephen’s boldness.  If that is in me then I pray that You pull it out, even if it means my martyrdom – on any level – for I want to be found confessing Jesus in all places.  And though I am not like Stephen, I do have a word from You to speak.  Let me do so boldly as I ought.  In Jesus’ name, amen.