Saints: Life & Times
Lesson 2: Martyrs
Protomartyr
After the crucifixion of Jesus, his enemies expected his followers to disperse. “Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter” was a time-proven adage. However, after a brief hiatus, the apostles suddenly burst onto the scene, working miracles and declaring that Jesus rose from the dead. Despite official sanctions and physical punishment, they continued to attract followers; “even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.” (Acts 6:7) The stage was set for the first martyr.
His name was Stephen. He was probably born in a foreign land, (Pocket Dictionary of Saints, edited by John Delaney; p. 463) but had been educated in Jerusalem by the great Gameliel. Like Saul of Tarsus after him, he was a “Pharisee of Pharisees” who recognized the truth in Christ and followed him. He was one of seven deacons selected by the apostles to help them preach, baptize and distribute alms among the needy. A. J. M. Mausolff and M. K. Mausolff in their book Saint Companions for Each Day give a concise yet moving description of his work and witness. (pp. 363-364)
Since he spoke Greek, he could devote himself particularly to the Hellenistic converts who were generally looked down upon by the Palestinian Jews. “A man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost”, “full of grace and fortitude”, St. Stephen threw himself into his apostolic work with the greatest zeal, and God blessed it by enabling him to perform “great wonders and signs.” He preached repeatedly in the “Synagogue of the Freed Men”, (descendants of those Jews who had been captured as children in 63 B. C., carried off to Rome by Pompey, and there freed,) and in the synagogues of the Hellenistic Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia and Asia, who preferred to worship by themselves, (there were over 400 such alien houses of worship in Jerusalem.) Fearlessly he proved to his hearers that Our Lord had come to save all, -- not merely the Chosen People, – that the Church was separate and distinct from the synagogue, and he reproved the Pharisees for their obstinacy and hard hearts in not recognizing but crucifying the long awaited Messiah.His election and discourse are detailed in The Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 6 and 7.Bested in every debate and hurt in their pride, the enraged Hebrews fanned riotous disturbances, spread calumnies, and finally had Stephen arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin on an accusation of blasphemy. His fiery and eloquent defence [sic] of the Church, and his enumeration of God’s past mercies toward Israel and the latter’s [sic] ingratitude, raised their fury still higher until they dragged Stephen outside the city and stoned him in accordance with the Mosaic law against blasphemy. With hands tied, he was placed on a hillock, from which the official “witnesses” had to knock him to the ground and then drop upon him “a stone such as two men could carry”. As a true follower of his Lord, St. Stephen’s thoughts were for his persecutors: “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge!” And with “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”, he gave up the ghost: the first martyr to shed his blood for the young Church. (Ibid.)
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