After the Manger: The Challenge of Christian Witness
December 26, 2024 - Thursday, Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr
Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59
Saint Stephen is described as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5) and “working great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). Such a positive description might lead us to expect a happy story. Yet, the reality of life often contradicts our assumptions.
Stephen’s persecution and martyrdom mirror those of Jesus. He was falsely accused, brought before the council and the high priest (Acts 6:13-7:1), and ultimately executed after his vision of “the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). Jesus, too, was accused of blasphemy and sentenced to death after saying, “you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matt 26:64). Like Jesus, Stephen commended his spirit into the hands of the Lord and prayed for his persecutors (Acts 7:59-60). Thus, as the first martyr of the nascent Church, Stephen fully identified himself with his Lord, truly becoming “another Christ.”
The Gospel warns us that we will be hated by everyone for Christ’s sake. But why? A 2nd-century Christian text, the Letter to Diognetus, attempts to explain. It notes that “Christians love all men, but all men persecute them,” and that “no one can explain the reason for this hatred.” The author compares Christians in the world to the soul in the body: “As the soul is present in every part of the body while remaining distinct from it, so Christians are found in all the cities of the world, but cannot be identified with the world.” The text goes on to offer a reason for this animosity: “The body hates the soul and wars against it, not because of any injury the soul has done it, but because of the restriction the soul places on its pleasures. Similarly, the world hates the Christians, not because they have done it any wrong, but because they are opposed to its enjoyments.”
Stephen’s speech to the religious leaders in Jerusalem was, indeed, explosive (Acts 7:1-53). He reminded them of a history they would prefer to forget: from the time of Moses, they had rebelled against God. He dismissed the temple in Jerusalem, which they considered sacred, stating that “the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands” (Acts 7:48). Finally, he concluded by accusing them of persecuting the prophets, rejecting and killing Jesus, and failing to keep the law (Acts 7:52-53). Yet, that challenging speech was ultimately an act of love and concern. Jesus said, “the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Stephen sought to lead them to Jesus, the new Moses, their true Messiah, the liberator of all people, and the true temple of the Most High.
It may feel surprising, perhaps even unsettling, that right after the joyful celebration of Jesus’ birth, we commemorate the death of one of His followers. But why? To remind us that our faith is a way of life, a call to imitate the One who was born in the manger and died on the cross for our salvation. There is also a historical reason: on December 26, 415 AD, St. Stephen’s tomb and relics were discovered and brought to the Church of Sion in Jerusalem. On that day, many were healed of various illnesses, and the news of the first Christian martyr’s relics brought joy to the ancient Christian Church.
St. Stephen, pray for us and for the whole world.