Witness

Stephen, Deacon and Martyr  Acts 6:8-7:2, 51-60 (NRSV) 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 secretly instigated some men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. They set up false witnesses who said, "This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us." And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Then the high priest asked him, "Are these things so?" And Stephen replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it." When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Look, he said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. 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." Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he died.  The first martyr.  The word comes from the Greek for "witness."  And really, is there anything more powerful in a witness's testimony than dying for the truth? The first witnesses to Jesus' life were the shepherds - who Luke tells us "made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them."  And we wonder what happened then. Jesus was an early witness to his life himself in his home town of Nazareth and it didn't go so well.  The town-folks wanted to send him off a cliff. After the resurrection, and right before the ascension, Jesus made his disciples apostles and told them to be witnesses (and teachers and baptizers) and to make disciples of all nations.   And one of those was Stephen: who witnessed to the truth and for his efforts was stoned to death. We expect witnesses to tell the truth ("the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help us God"), but it occurs to me that we don't often want to hear it.  It's hard not to quote Jack Nicholson here from "A Few Good Men" with "we can't handle the truth." The truth is what has been given us.  It's been charged to us, proclaimed to us, promised to us.  It's been written on our hearts and we've been directed to witness to it.  But witnessing to the truth takes an awful lot of risk, doesn't it?  Especially when we haven't come to terms with it ourselves or when we know we are living in a world that often doesn't want to hear it.  I think of all the push back that Pope Francis is getting as he tries to remind the church of the gospel. Most of us won't actually be stoned to death for telling the truth.  But sometimes the risk feels that great when we think we won't be heard or when we aren't really sure we trust the truth enough ourselves. Yet we are reminded again and again of that truth.  God has written it on our hearts.  God has promised to be faithful and God keeps promises.  The truth might be risky.  But it remains something we can depend on even when it feels scary to speak it out loud ourselves. *** Faithful God, help us to always trust in the truth of your love.  Help us to overcome fear to witness to that truth and proclaim your mercy and grace. Thank you also for witnesses like Stephen who do not fear and hold onto the truth even to death.  Amen.