Coming Persecutions

Today's Reflections

 

Coming Persecutions 

 http://graceandspace.org

Mt 10:17-22

[Jesus said to his apostles,] ¹⁷“Beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, ¹⁸and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. ¹⁹When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. ²⁰For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ²¹Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. ²²You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”

Reflection:

The Spirit of your Father speaking through you. St. Stephen is known as the “protomartyr,” the first martyr. From Greek, the word “martyr” means “witness.” A martyr for the faith suffers out of love, to the point of death.

Stephen is stoned to death, the first believer recorded in the Acts of the Apostles to give his life for Jesus. His last two statements are remarkable. First, he forgives his accusers, saying, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Stephen has no bitterness, no hatred in his heart, no revenge on his mind. He wishes his persecutors forgiveness and salvation. With God’s grace, we, too, can be martyrs every day, in our own little way—turning hatred into healing, brokenness into blessing, revenge into reparation, and faultfinding into forgiveness.

Second, Stephen places his life in God’s hands as he prays, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” In the face of death, Stephen calls on God, puts his hope in him, and entrusts everything to him.

As we face our responsibilities, let us not hesitate and be afraid. Like Stephen, let us pray, “Lord, receive the work of our hands.” And in the face of discouragement, let us say, “Lord, receive us.”

The name Stephen means “crown.” Stephen receives the crown of glory by witnessing to Jesus. The same destiny awaits us if we hold on to Jesus.

Let my motto be: “God first!” He has priority.

He is number one in my life.