Holy Apostles Aristarchus, Pudens and Trophimus (54-68).
Acts 6:8-7:5, 47-60. John 4:46-54.
Read Acts 6:8-7:5, 47-60
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
We have just encountered the confession of faith and execution of Stephen, the first Christian martyr—the first person who was killed for his faith in Christ. He is, for this reason, called the ‘Protomartyr.’ And he serves as an example for us in three important ways.
First, always be a witness to Christ—in your daily life, by your words, through your actions. We need to allow Christ to permeate every ounce of our being and every moment of our day. As we read, Stephen worked wonders and spoke with undeniable wisdom. He could be like this only by his faith and his prayer. He strove to make every aspect of his life united to Christ.
Second, be ready to account for your faith. After all, if we live as true witnesses to Christ, then we will carry a joy in our hearts that is noticeable. We might, once in a while, be asked the cause of our joy. In that moment, it will be our duty to speak of Christ and how He has transformed our lives. Also, if we live as true witnesses to Christ, we will inevitably be called upon to take a stand on some moral dilemma about which we and the culture disagree (abortion, euthanasia, gender theory, IVF, etc…). In that moment, it too will be our duty to express the truth of the matter, despite what others around us might think or say. When Stephen was accused of blasphemy, he gave the account of Who Christ is and why he believes in Him.
Third, accept the consequences of what comes next in faith and hope. It might be uncomfortable to tell your coworker or family member of your relationship with Christ and how that brings you so much joy, and you might risk being dismissed, teased at, or even ghosted. Proclaim Christ and His Truth anyway! You might risk losing your job for refusing to go along with ‘Pride’ events or criminal prosecution for refusing to agree go along with ‘preferred pronouns.’ Proclaim Christ and His Truth anyway!
As hard and messy your situation might become because of your faith in Christ, remember these two things: 1) Christ will always walk with you through your troubles when you are faithful to Him and 2) your suffering for Him will serve as inspiration to greater faith for onlookers, whether or not you ever know about it. Stephen was stoned for his faith and he gained paradise for it. And we are still reading it in the scriptures and being inspired by it today. And while we likely aren’t going to receive execution for our faith, at least not in North America at this point in time, our suffering will not go unrewarded.
Strive to witness to Christ in all that you are and do, be ready to give an account for your faith, and accept the consequences with faith and hope. And the Lord will never abandon you.