Acts 7:60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
The verse for today’s devotion is referring to Stephen, who is the first recorded martyr of the Christian faith. A martyr is someone who is persecuted and killed for their beliefs. The word martyr means witness. Typically their death is violent and is related to their belief in Christ and their testimony or personal story. Early Christians were put to death for refusing to renounce their faith.
Stephen is a great example of Christian love and compassion. Though these people had brutally attacked him for his belief in Jesus, he did not act bitter or show anger or rage. They violently attacked him, throwing stones at him and hurting him. He was literally knocked to his knees from it. Yet he prayed for them. He interceded on their behalf. He cried out to God not to hold their sins against them. Despite being at death’s door, he was concerned about them.
Then he died.
Though he could have been angry, he chose love. Though he would have been justified in speaking against his attackers, he chose to pray for them. Though he was nearly dead, he thought not of himself, but them. I probably would not have had the same response had it been me they stoned. He was able to set aside everything and beg for the Lord to forgive them. Had it been me, I would have probably prayed for justice, for karma, for anything but forgiveness. Though I am a Christian and I try to obey the command to love others, when it comes to hurting me or my family I struggle to be the loving person God calls us to be.
It is humbling to read Stephen’s story and what he went through. It shows us how blessed we are to be able to freely and openly serve our God. We can worship Him anywhere at any time (in the USA at least) without fear of persecution. Let Stephen be an example to you to forgive others and respond in love.
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