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While they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! ” He knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them! ” And after saying this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:59–60
There’s a certain gene that probably rides on the Y chromosome, which means that when a little boy is first conceived, this little character trait starts to develop immediately. The most visible peculiarity of this gene is that it does not allow a boy to be still. It’s the “tussle and wiggle gene.”
My oldest brother, Sam, and I got this tussle and wiggle gene in full measure. Our parents did their best to keep us from being too rambunctious, but sometimes our activity would get a little out of hand. The winter day we decided to play soccer downstairs was one such day. Fortunately, there weren’t too many breakable things in the basement except my brother’s brand-new glasses. Our mother would call to us from the kitchen suggesting that we be careful.
“We will be,” we’d shout back, completely ignoring the implications of the word careful. The soccer ball had been kicked to the top of the stairs; I ran ahead of my brother to get it and then turned to kick it down the stairs. When I wheeled to kick the ball, it flew directly into Sam’s face. The left half of his glasses frames went west, and the right half went east, the lenses shattering on impact. So much for the new glasses.
In a moment our mother was standing there. She had that unmistakable “wait until your father gets home” look on her face. We were dead, and we knew it.
When our dad got home, he took us to the basement. He asked what had happened and why we hadn’t heeded our mother’s admonitions to be careful. We did not answer. “I’m going to spank you, Sam,” he said to my brother, the intensity in his eyes leaving no room for negotiation. And then my dad asked my big brother a question I will never forget: “Should I spank Robert, too?”
I stood there in the presence of my brother, awaiting his verdict. I held my breath, hanging by the thread of my brother’s mercy. “No sir,” he said. “I don’t think you should spank Robert.” Because he was a man of his word, my father spanked my brother and did not spank me. I will never forget this. I still owe Sam for this reprieve.
Stephen may be one of the most courageous men in the whole Bible. He was standing before the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court. These self-righteous men were leaning in on him, accusing him of blasphemy, which meant challenging his love and loyalty to Jesus. Although we don’t know this for sure, it certainly seemed as though Stephen could have avoided his own execution if he had only denounced the Savior.
But he wouldn’t do it. In fact, he stood nose to nose with these intimidating rulers and defended his Lord. This defense cost him his life by stoning. An incredibly brutal way to die.
I love to envision Stephen and Jesus meeting in heaven. “Well done, good and faithful servant,” Jesus must have said to His loyal friend. “I’ll never forget this.”
Our defense of our Savior will probably never be this severe. Nonetheless, we will be challenged to cut corners—to compromise what’s right. We will find ourselves looking these intimidating accusers in the eye.
And although our loyalty might cost us dearly, it will always be this rewarding. Stand firm, regardless of the cost. He’ll never forget it.