God gave Stephen the power to work great miracles and wonders among the people. But some Jews from Cyrene and Alexandria were members of a group who called themselves "Free Men." They started arguing with Stephen. Some others from Cilicia and Asia also argued with him. But they were no match for Stephen, who spoke with the great wisdom that the Spirit gave him. So they talked some men into saying, "We heard Stephen say terrible things against Moses and God!" They turned the people and their leaders and the teachers of the Law of Moses against Stephen. Then they all grabbed Stephen and dragged him in front of the council.
Some men agreed to tell lies about Stephen, and they said, "This man keeps on saying terrible things about this holy temple and the Law of Moses. We have heard him claim that Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses gave us." Then all the council members stared at Stephen. They saw that his face looked like the face of an angel.
No servant is greater than the master...so, it's Deja vu.
Remember when they couldn't pin anything on Jesus so they convinced people to lie about Him? Well, it's happening again...with Stephen.
We shouldn't be surprised. Aggression and subterfuge are common among people who feel threatened. And these opponents of Stephen felt threatened. Why? because they disagreed with Stephen but were not able to mount a compelling argument. They were no match for Stephen, who spoke with the great wisdom that the Spirit gave him. So, when you can't win on the merits...lie, steal or cheat.
It happens all the time...
I know how I react when that happens to me. Very dissimilar to Stephen whose face looked like the face of an angel.
We cannot control the actions of others...no matter how despicable. As a result we cannot control the outcome. we might even die. However, we can control our own response...and it should be evident to all. As such, we can have great influence. Don't forget who was watching this entire episode unfold from a distance.
Live boldly out there today...
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