“Do You Seek Justice or Mercy for Your Enemies?” Acts 7:57-8:3
Pentecost 2A 6/18/17 Pastor Buchner
It is for good reason that we are all concerned about our reputation. Now this isn’t to say that we go around worrying about everything that people think about us. Because some people just aren’t going to like you much, and many others are going to disagree with your decisions. Yet, none of us wants to be known for something bad like being lazy or being men or being a gossiper. A good name and reputation are a precious gift.
However, in the minds of many, when they find out you’re a Christian, that good name and reputation go right out the window.
How do we respond to this hatred? Well, the bible offers two good approaches to this hatred. One is to pray for justice, that all those who have wronged God and his people would be punished. The martyrs in heaven are currently praying for such a thing according to the book of Revelation. The other is that we treat these people with love and respect, even mercy, hoping that they eventually come to believe in Jesus as their Savior as well. But which of these approaches do we choose, and in which cases do we choose them? That is a tough question, but God does give us guidelines. Pray for justice, that our enemies would be punished in the end. But as long as these enemies live, pray for forgiveness that they might become our friends and fellow believers in Christ.
The first Christian martyr, Stephen, shows us how to do this as he follows in the steps of Jesus. But he also shows us why this is a good path to follow too. Stephen was not an apostle, yet he was a prominent leader in the early Church. God allowed him the ability to do miracles and was called by God and his people to preach and teach. Opposition quickly arose, though, because there were a number of Jewish people upset with his preaching of Christ. They tried to stand up against him, but he was wise and the Holy Spirit was too much for these men to handle. So, they riled up a mob, persuaded men to say that he blasphemed God much like what they did with Jesus, and then hauled him off the Sanhedrin, or the Jewish leaders.
When Stephen was questioned by the Sanhedrin, he told the history of the Jewish Church, no doubt to show that he was not a blasphemer. But towards the end of his defense, he pointed out that the Jewish Church had often rebelled against God and at this current time they were no different. They were just like their fathers who also rejected the Holy Spirit. And just as their fathers rejected and killed those who prophesied about the coming Savior, so they had killed the Savior. They raged against Stephen, but their rage was not righteous. For, it was Stephen, not they, who was on the side of God. God proved this by opening heaven to him so that he could see the glory of God and Jesus standing at his right hand.
Eventually their rage and hatred grew to the point of murder. At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. Much like little children plug their ears and begin to scream when they hear something they don’t like, so these men acted in the face of truth. They were so filled with hatred that they did not care whether or not Stephen spoke from God. It was their feelings and opinions that mattered so they dragged him out of the city to illegally stone him to death. But, they made sure to “follow” the Law in that they had the witnesses of Stephen’s blasphemy cast the first stones. And at whose feet did they lay their cloaks before stoning Stephen? Saul, or as he is sometimes called, Paul. A man who would shortly become a terrible and evil persecutor of the Church of God. The bible says this of him: On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
If you were Stephen, which of the two approaches would you be praying for at this moment? Justice or mercy? Or, when you hear of people who dismiss you simply for the fact that you follow Christ, what do you want? I think a lot of times we want justice in the moment, but we want it for all the wrong reasons. Too often your desire for justice has come from pure selfishness, not from a love of God’s desires and his law. You have wanted people to understand that you are more powerful than they and that they don’t get to hurt you and walk away unscathed. It is not wrong to hope for vengeance and God’s righteous judgment. But, it is wrong to want such things for our own glory.
What should we do when we are confronted with hatred, then? Follow the example of Christ, which Stephen did well. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. How could Stephen be so selfless while his enemies were murdering him? Only because he had been shown that same mercy. As Jesus was allowing himself to be murdered on the cross by men like Stephen, and you, and me, he prayed that people like us would be forgiven. More than anything, Jesus wants people to be saved and he realized that they only way for that to happen would be through mercy.
Yet this is not the only reason why we show mercy. Because in this section, God gives us even more incentive to do so. Here’s the last part of v60 again, “When he had said this, he fell asleep.” Stephen death was more like a sleep. Sure, Saul’s companions may have separated his soul from his body for a while, but he was still alive. And even though his body would eventually decay, it was just sleeping, just resting until the day it wakes up again. This is literally the worst that our enemies can do to us. They have no control over our eternity; no authority over our life. The only thing they can do to us is make us sleep for a while.
In the minds of many, we may not be what this country or even what this world is all about. In God’s mind, we are what the next world is all about, though, in heaven. But not just us, these enemies who hate you too. What they’re doing is no different than what we once did to God. His mercy doesn’t stop with certain people but extends to all. When he died on the cross, he didn’t just die for his friends. And thank God, because none of us were his friends. He died for his enemies, that they, that we might receive the mercy and forgiveness he offered.
And who knows, when you turn around and show this mercy you’ve received to others, who knows where it might lead. Because God listened to Stephen’s cry for mercy, and spared those men, at least one of them eventually came to know God’s mercy. For as we’re going to see throughout the next months, this is not the only time we’ll hear of Saul. No, God had much more in store for this man, more than he probably could have ever imagined.
This world is going to hate you. Don’t be surprised when they come against you simply because you follow Christ. If they hated Jesus, they’re going to hate you too. But their hatred will never be able to take away your life, not really. And so, as you think and pray for these enemies, pray that God’s justice will eventually be upheld. But pray too for mercy, that these enemies would eventually share in the same joys as you in heaven. Amen.
