Like the face of an angel

Acts 6 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. ² So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. ³ Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. ⁴ But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” ⁵ The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. ⁶ And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.

⁷ The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

⁸ And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹ But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. ¹¹ Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” ¹² And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away and brought him before the Council. ¹³ They put forward false witnesses who said, “This man incessantly speaks against this holy place and the Law; ¹⁴ for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us.” ¹⁵ And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Council saw his face like the face of an angel.

In yesterday’s text we saw that the apostles, like Jesus, were hated and punished for doing good. In today’s text it says:   Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”  And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away and brought him before the Council.   The first thing that always stands out to me in this account is that Stephen was selected to serve food to the widows. He was not given a ministry position, but rather a position of service. Yet the text says he was: full of grace and power and was performing great wonders and signs among the people.   Stephen is a perfect model of what Paul, who was a witness to this account of Stephen, speaks of in Romans 12:6-8:   Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.  Each one of us, like Stephen, is also is capable of doing great things; performing great wonders and signs, if we will walk and work in the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, remaining faithful to use the gifts we are given to the glory of God.

Again though we see that doing good in service to God will not always find favor in the sight of man. The text says:  Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”  And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away and brought him before the Council.They put forward false witnesses who said, “This man incessantly speaks against this holy place and the Law;  for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us.”  The response of the world to our good works in the name of Jesus, is why it is vital that we have our priorities correct. In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus says:   “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”    Our love for and service to others must be born out of our love for and service to God. We must love God with our whole heart, soul and mind. Then it no longer matters how the world responds to what we do, because we only do it as unto the Lord. 1 John 4:19 says: We love, because He first loved us.  Colossians 3:23-24 says:  Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,  knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.   The reward that we seek is not the approval or the love of people. It is our inheritance in Christ. Romans 8:28-30 says:  And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.    If we are persecuted and despised because we love and serve God, we are becoming more like Jesus. We are called by Him; justified through Him and glorified with Him. We are His brethren. In Matthew 12:50 Jesus says:  “Whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

The text ends saying: And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Council saw his face like the face of an angel.  Hebrews 4:14-16 says:  Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  In the midst of our trials and persecution we need, like Stephen, to go boldly to the throne of grace. Hebrews 12:1-2 says: Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.    In Isaiah 6:1-3 it says: In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” From the perspective of heaven, the whole earth is filled with the glory of God.    When we fix our eyes on Jesus rather than on the things of this world, we become like Him. Those who look upon us will see, like those who saw Stephen, the face of one who sees from the perspective of heaven; a face that shines with the glory of the presence of God.

Thank You Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit for the examples of those who have gone before us to show us the way to follow You. May all that I do always be in response to Your love for me. When I love and serve the world may it be first and foremost to love and serve You. May I not be concerned with the favor of the world, but rather may I be conformed to the image of Christ. In times of trouble, may I seek Your face at the throne of grace. May I see from the perspective of heaven and may the glory I see be reflected on my face for the world to see.    Amen.