Brief synopsis of the readings: We read first from the end of the 7th Chapter of Acts. Here Stephen, one of the apostles, proclaims to the Jews gathered that he has seen the “Son of Man.” Enraged, the Jews gathered stoned him to death; all the while Stephen proclaimed God’s glory. John’s Gospel continues Jesus’ words at the Last Supper. Though addressing God, Jesus is also speaking to those gathered. He is laying out a plan for his disciples, and their disciples, and their to proclaim salvation to the entire world.

I know the story of Stephen, the first martyr, is a compelling story and I’ll get there but I want to begin with John’s Gospel.

The Last Supper is a long scene. Chapter 13 details Jesus’ washing the feet of his disciples; chapters 14, 15, 16, and 17 (of which we’ve been reading) constitute his instructions to his disciples. Some of is consists of dialogue, and much of it (including today’s Gospel) take the form of a prayer to God.

And while prayer always addresses God, it also addresses those gathered. As many of you know I make my living as a hospice chaplain and I have the enviable position of getting paid to pray. I find that a prayer that articulates the joys, fears and desires of my patients and loved ones give great comfort. And here Jesus’ prayers certainly speak to the hopes of his disciples, but I think it goes beyond that.

For if the Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ inaugural address for his earthly ministry, this speech is his inaugural address for eternity. I believe Jesus here is outlining a two step plan for the salvation of the world: First, God is in you and will give you the strength, courage, and wisdom to proclaim the salvation of the world. And second, your job for the rest of your lives is to travel the world, proclaiming a message that will transform human history from simply being of this world to an eternal world to come.

I may be wrong about this (and I’m open to feedback, as long as it’s kind), but I don’t see this happening before in human history. During pagan times people were often forced to worship the particular god of the their earthly ruler but were free to worship whatever other gods they chose. Judaism moved beyond this to proclaim that there is only one God who must be worshipped exclusively. But, as we’ve talked about before, there was no idea of expanding beyond those God chose to be Jews.

But Jesus’ message was revolutionary and it’s little wonder not everyone signed on. As a matter of fact it’s surprising that Jesus’ message caught fire so deeply and quickly. His message of “you life matters in this life, but also in the next one” resonated but it also entered something new into human history: martyrdom.

Before Stephen there were a few examples of someone dying for their faith and we Christians can’t claim exclusive ownership of martyrdom. In the 2 Books of Maccabees (books that Catholics see as Scriptural but Jews and Protestants do no) we find Jews who were murdered for refusing to eat food they considered unclean. Also, there is reason to believe some prophets from earlier days were killed for what they said.

But that’s really it. Those who showed exceptional bravery and were killed in battle may have been revered, but they really didn’t die for their faith. They were fighting for their own gain or in the service of a king, but they certainly did not choose death.

The martyrdom of Stephan advances the idea that someone can die in a way that brings others to faithfulness. Our reading comprises only the last 5 versus of a long chapter and a long speech by Stephen. Simply put, he was asking for it. He began by reciting Jewish history (a history that his listeners knew well) but gives it a fatal twist at the end. He essentially told them that their history from Abraham to the present must include Jesus and tells them by not believing in Jesus they are not staying true to God. He calls them “uncircumcised in heart and ears.” This is really a throw down: I spoke about this last week, but circumcision really speaks to the core of what it means to be a Jew. He is calling them heretics. It’s little wonder they rose up against him and killed him.

So what of us today? Clearly there is almost no chance we will be called to martyrdom (and truth be told I have no desire for that). But it does call us to live differently just as it did the first disciples, even for those of us who live in predominately Christian areas.

Last month a candidate for President was asked for his favorite verse from the Bible and he answered: “An eye for an eye.” He’s correct that the verse is found in the Bible (Exodus 21:23) but as Christians we are called to better. We are called to Jesus words: “You have heard ‘an eye for an eye’ but I tell you not to resist an evil person.” He goes on to talk about turning the other cheek and loving your enemies.

It’s easy to dismiss this candiate with the idea that he simply doesn’t know what he’s saying. But while true, it’s more than that. We all live in conversations where nasty gossip is traded like currency and suffering that we can alleviate is seen as self inflicted. Every day we see instances where faith is used as a club instead of an invitation and the Kingdom that Jesus set in motion will happen without us.

But it won’t. If that were true Jesus would have told the disciples to hang out and wait. He told us to love our enemies not so that we may be judged worthy but so they would be transformed into disciples.

Stephen, and countless martyrs after him, knew that if they lived their best life and died faithfully, others would be attracted. Sadly as Christians, this group also includes Jews who refused to trade their beliefs for their lives during inquisitions. Regardless we are called to faith. And so while we almost certainly will not pay with our lives, let us pay with our prayers and actions.