by Jerry Senn
We all enjoy the Olympic games, especially watching Americans get the gold. In the ancient Greek world the winners in similar games got an olive branch, usually placed as a crown on one’s head. This was known as “stephanos.”
Stephanos (Stephen) was “a meteor which flashed across history, never to be forgotten.” He is an example of extreme bravery and faith worthy of great praise which he received when Jesus stands at the throne of God upon Stephen’s martyrdom. (See the story: Acts 6-7).
Stephen preached what people didn’t want to hear. He could have held back for the sake of finding the people’s favor, but he told them what they needed to believe to be saved by Jesus’ blood.
Stephen could have thought, “I should wait until they will be more likely to listen.” But, knowing the deep prejudice of the Jews which led to Jesus’ death, he bravely laid before them how God’s love had been demonstrated since the Abrahamic promise (Gen 12). This led to his own death by stoning.
Bravery is demonstrated when a person desires something with such passion that he/she brushes aside thoughts of personal pain or even death and pursues a worthy goal. Gold medalists are noted for this virtue; but are modern believers?
We modern Americans would not be so “foolish” as Stephen — “he should have used better judgment.” But saving his own life wasn’t an option. There are some things worth dying for, facing possible danger or being rejected by friends. There is no greater cause in this lost world than to share God’s message of salvation.
Saul of Tarsus assisted at Stephen’s death. He saw Stephen’s face “as the face of an angel” (6:15) and heard Stephen’s last words as he saw Jesus standing to honor a brave saint of God as he received a winner’s reward.
Stephen’s bravery would later fire the heart of Paul and the entire early church to launch a spiritual awakening like the world hasn’t known since.
Paul would later say to his young son in the faith, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you … For God gave us a spirit not of fear [timidity] but of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim 1:6-7).
“It is easy to be brave from a safe distance.”
(Aesop)