At The Skull

Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. You received the law as transmitted by angels, but you did not observe it.” 

When they heard this, they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him. But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and Stephen said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears, and rushed upon him together.

They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”; and when he said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:51-8:1A)

Sound familiar?  Stephen, the first deacon, suffered pretty much the same fate as Jesus, according to Luke, author of Acts, who said, “[Stephen] cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them;’ and when he said this, he fell asleep.”   Consider Luke’s words (23:33-34): “When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left.  Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do…”

I still cringe when I read all the Jewish people were held responsible for Jesus’ crucifixion and death.  That was Stephen’s reminder, again according to Luke who speaks very harsh words calling the people and their ancestors stiff-necked, opposing the Holy Spirit – calling them betrayers and murderers.  If I had been part of that audience receiving that tongue-lashing, I might have thrown the first stone.

Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, was killed, but not before he said he saw the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.  He saw Jesus and God together.  One wonders how other Gospel writers and the early Church reconciled this duo with Jesus being God.   I suspect the concept of the Trinity provided the way.

We all must be careful not to go to the place in our lives we can call “the Skull” where we “crucify” or “stone” those who hurt us in any way.  It’s tempting to go there; cry out in loud voices; cover our ears; and rush upon them.   Remembering Jesus and Stephen, we must say, “We will not hold their sin against them.  We forgive them; they know not what they do.”  If we can find the strength and resolve to say this, in a way, we will find ourselves standing at the right hand of God.

Deacon David Pierce