Lord, do not hold this...
Illustration
Object:
"Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Stephen dies with this prayer on his lips,
knowing that God is a God of forgiveness. His killers' cloaks are held by Saul of Tarsus,
who watches this martyrdom from a safe distance, and perhaps wonders at the words of
forgiveness that usher from the mouth of a troublemaker. More than a bystander, but less
than a murderer, Saul stands in need of forgiveness from God.
One wonders if Saul, who becomes Paul, often reflected upon this day when Stephen died and upon his need for God's loving forgiveness.
How many of us know that we are more than bystanders and less than murderers? How many of us participate every day in things that God would frown upon? Oh, we may not stone the prophets, but we eat our fill in a world of hunger. We fling no rocks at young men, but neither do we speak up when social systems crush the powerless. We hold no cloaks at executions, but we turn a blind eye to the social vices that claim human life every minute of every day. Would that Stephen might offer a prayer for us: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Rest assured, God longs to forgive us and redeem us for greater purposes, just as he forgave and redeemed Paul. The key to our forgiveness is our repentance.
One wonders if Saul, who becomes Paul, often reflected upon this day when Stephen died and upon his need for God's loving forgiveness.
How many of us know that we are more than bystanders and less than murderers? How many of us participate every day in things that God would frown upon? Oh, we may not stone the prophets, but we eat our fill in a world of hunger. We fling no rocks at young men, but neither do we speak up when social systems crush the powerless. We hold no cloaks at executions, but we turn a blind eye to the social vices that claim human life every minute of every day. Would that Stephen might offer a prayer for us: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Rest assured, God longs to forgive us and redeem us for greater purposes, just as he forgave and redeemed Paul. The key to our forgiveness is our repentance.
