St. Stephen, whose memory we celebrate today, was one of the first seven deacons. In Orthodox Christian tradition there are three basic ranks of clergy, deacons, presbyters (priests) and bishops. Within the three ranks there are a multitude of titles- deacons, archdeacons, presbyters, oikonomoi (stewards), protopresbyters, archimandrites, bishops, metropolitans, etc. Given this plethora of titles, it is easy to get confused.

The rank of deacon was established early in church history. It is relatively unknown today, because the need for priests is great and thus most men who are ordained deacons are then quickly ordained to the higher rank of priest. It was not so in the early church and for much of church history. In Acts 6 we see the first selection and ordination of deacons. The early church had a substantial philanthropic role and helped many widows in the Christian community, and there was an accusation made that the Greek speaking widows were receiving less than the Hebrew or Aramaic speaking ones. The apostles decided that they did not wish to compromise their ministry of preaching by getting involved in the financial distributions to the poor, and so, guided by the Holy Spirit, they chose and ordained seven deacons, the most prominent of whom was Stephen, who was, according to the Scripture, “a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit.”

We heard today the story of his martyrdom, recorded in Acts 6 & 7. Stephen got into an argument with members of various synagogues, known to us by the names “Freedmen,” “Cyrenians,” “Alexandrians,” “Cilicians” and “Asians.” These titles are not significant to us, though they give us an idea of Jewish life in Jerusalem at that time. The exact nature of the controversy is not clear, though we can imagine that involved some statement by Stephen that Jesus had by his death and resurrection fulfilled Jewish Law and superseded it. He was accused of blasphemy, the very same crime for which Jesus had been condemned by the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high council.

Unlike Jesus, who made no attempt to defend himself at his trial, Stephen made an extensive defense, recorded in the Bible and of which we see excerpts in today’s reading. He argued that throughout history people had been misinterpreting God’s message. He told how people had resisted Moses, though he had been sent by God, and how Solomon had built a Temple for God, though, in his words, “the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands; as the prophet says, 'Heaven is my throne, and earth my footstool. What house will you build for me, says the Lord.” As he continued to speak, his words became harsher. “"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it."

He sealed his fate when he was granted a vision of Jesus standing in heaven next to the glory of God. “"Behold, I see the heavens opened,” he said, “and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God." This was blasphemy, an insult to God, in that He could be seen and that a common man such as Jesus, in their opinion, could be next to Him. His execution was unlike the Lord’s because in Stephen’s case, his death came as a result of mob violence rather than formal legal proceedings. Thus it was an illegal action, using an ancient Jewish practice, death by stoning. It is said that crucifixion was the most horrible form of execution ever devised by man, and I suppose that this is true, because crucifixions could drag out over days. But stoning had to be pretty awful. The mob pelted Stephen with rocks until he died. Was it the first rock or the 100th that hit his head and knocked him unconscious? We cannot say. What we do know is that during the process, Stephen prayed for his executioners, saying, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

Martyrs have played a major role in church history. They chose physical death over spiritual death, and in doing so they gave witness to God’s power made alive in them. For me, the death of St. Stephen and of the 12 Apostles is a validation of the truth of the gospels. The gospels very clearly show the Apostles to be a band of frightened, defeated men on the day of the Lord’s crucifixion. Only two attended His trial; only one was at His execution. Days later something happened to them; they saw something that changed them from cowards to brave men willing to die for their cause. I do not believe that any would have been willing to die for a lie or for an imagined hope. The fear of death is common to us all, and quite powerful. I think the Apostles saw something that changed everything for them. I think that they saw the risen Lord.

St. Stephen is known to us as the first martyr of the church. He was killed for expounding Christian doctrine and for publicly witnessing to a vision he was given by God. In the midst of a brutal, painful execution he forgave and prayed for his executioners. I do not think that the story would be possible, unless what he saw was real. St. Stephen was the first martyr, but not the last. Martyrs have enriched the church from then until now. Just last month a priest was killed in Russia, and the suspicion is that he was killed by Moslem extremists because of his strong position against Islam. Under the Soviet Union there were tens of thousands of martyrs. In the Greek Civil War in the late 1940’s, priests and bishops were killed by Communists simply because they were doing their job well. I encourage you to learn their stories and live with their courage.

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Text: Acts of the Apostles 6:8-15; 7:1-5, 47-60

In those days, 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), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated men, who said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and set up false witnesses who said, "This man never ceases to speak words 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 which Moses delivered to us." And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel. And the high priest said, "Is this so?" And Stephen said: "Brethren and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, 'Depart from your land and from your kindred and go into the land which I will show you.' Then he departed from the land of the Chaldeans, and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living; yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him in possession and to his posterity after him, though he had no child. "But it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands; as the prophet says, 'Heaven is my throne, and earth my footstool. What house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?' "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it." Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth against him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God." But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together upon him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.