“All I know most surely about morality and obligation I owe to football”,
Stephen 2
Lessons from Stephen : being full of graceStephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. Acts 6:8
As we read the story of Stephen’s trial and execution in Acts 7 and 8, we see that grace exemplified. We first come across Stephen in Acts chapter six where there’s a problem with the local food bank and a claim that the Greek widows were being neglected in comparison with the Jewish widows. The church decides to appoint 7 people – including Stephen - to sort out the problem.
While he is clearly a leader and a gifted preacher, he graciously accepts a practical job to meet an urgent need. When he is being killed, Stephen prayed for his persecutors’ forgiveness.
About two years ago I was at an athletics event in Sweden, I got into an elevator with just one other person. I recognized him but I had no idea really was and assumed he would not know me. So I asked him. He told me that he was one of the leaders of World Athletics. I introduced myself as “Stuart from Oxford who wrote about athletics.” He replied, “yes, I know and you also run Bible studies for athletes”. That stopped me in my tracks, that he knew all about me and it reminded me of the challenge of always being full of God’s grace not realizing who may be watching me
The pressures on people in the public eye in the modern world are immense. There is a TV camera at every angle. One’s reaction to any incident can suddenly go viral on social media.
The text refers to a young man called Saul observing and approving of Stephen’s execution. I have no doubt that Stephen’s demeanor and the way he faced death had a big impact on Saul on his journey to become the Apostle Paul. Stephen died never knowing what impact his life and death had on Saul and others. But he didn’t need to know. He had been faithful to Jesus, faithful onto death.