The Anointed!




Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

This might seem a very strange reading following Christmas Day, but today we celebrate the feast of Stephen, the first Christian martyred for Christ. His is a very interesting story, which can be found in Acts 6 and 7. Here is the story in a nutshell. The church had begun to grow and the number of disciples were increasing. However, despite the blessings they were receiving, people began complaining about the tiffin service: they were not being served food! The fault lay with the apostles who were not only preaching, they were serving food! Talk about humility. 

But the multi-tasking wasn’t working effectively anymore, not with the numbers of disciples increasing. So the apostles decided to appoint the task of distributing food to others. They gathered the disciples and told them to choose seven men from among them who were known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom to wait on tables! (see Acts 6:3). Seriously? Yes! Seriously! We believe “anointed” men and women of God should preach and teach and do other “glamorous” work, but here we find anointed people being told to wait on tables. 

Anyway, one of the seven chosen was Stephen, described as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). Now when he was not serving food, Stephen went about preaching the gospel, and great signs and wonders accompanied him. Needless to say, some people got jealous, and they trumped up charges against him and brought him before the Sanhedrin, where he delivered a long sermon. He wasn’t very diplomatic and they became furious with him. Scripture says, they “gnashed their teeth at him”. God chose that moment to give Stephen a vision of Jesus standing at his right hand. And Stephen chose to share this with the Jews. Totally enraged now, they hauled him out of the city and began stoning him.

And “while they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Does that sound familiar?) When he had said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:59-60). Which is a nicer way of saying he died. This brings me to what Jesus said today to those he was sending out to preach the good news. “They will persecute you because you preach the gospel. They will hate you because of my name. But the one who endures will be saved.”

And you thought following Christ was just going for Sunday service? :)

Watch a video of this reflection by Aneel Aranha here: https://youtu.be/ZLvDrN4ycdg

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