10th Day of Easter, Tuesday April 21: Acts 6:8-7:29

We’re starting the story of Stephen today. Of the 7 deacons appointed yesterday, he’s the one we remember. His service work drew resistance, and in defending himself, he went outside his original job description to do the very preaching that the 11 apostles had thought they were freeing themselves to do! Did you ever see a church job expand like his, at personal cost like he paid? Me too.

Stephen defends himself with a long peroration summarizing salvation history from Abraham in Mesopotamia up to Moses on the run in Midian today (and tomorrow continues the recital with the Exodus story). Even the deacon ‘waiting tables’ and helping the poor must be ready to defend the hope that is within him, and Stephen offers a model for 1st century Christians, and for us. How well could you sum up biblical narrative, salvation history, and why it matters?

There’s a rhythm to Stephen’s version of the story: leaving your roots or home, facing resistance, trusting a promise, making a covenant – then leaving another generation to repeat the cycle, with new resistance. Here’s a preacher or teacher selectively elaborating on scripture – ‘The Message’ translates Stephen calling young Moses ‘equally impressive as a thinker and an athlete’, with cultural roots in Egypt, but living as a resident alien in Midian. Moses is spun as Stephen’s hero.