“Whoever Endures to the End Will Be Saved” by Melanie Rigney

Peter Paul Rubens [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

“Whoever Endures to the End Will Be Saved” by Melanie Rigney

Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr

As they were stoning Stephen, he called out “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." (Acts 7:59)

“You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22)

Piety

Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. (Psalm 31:6)

Study

Why it was just yesterday we were all warm and fuzzy with the birth of the Christ child. And today, wham! Here we are, fast-forwarded thirty-plus years, to the stoning of Stephen. Sometimes, you just wish the minds that select the lectionary readings could give us all a little downtime, don’t you?

Except, of course, there really is no downtime for Christians. Sabbath, yes. Resting in the Lord, yes. We see that today in Stephen’s martyrdom. He is the first of the apostles to be martyred post-resurrection, and he will not be the last. Tradition has it that only John of the original apostles did not die a violent death. And while we may not be stoned or crucified physically, like the apostles, our faith is on trial every day on earth. As Christians, we speak the Lord’s truth with compassion and tenderness in our words and our actions. That’s often not popular or safe. We risk relationships and worldly wealth and position when we do it.

Yes, babies are beautiful and cuddly and non-threatening. But that’s not what the Father desires from us as adults. He desires the same faith and courage that Jesus exhibited throughout his earthly life, especially at the end. He desires that we commend our spirit into His hands, confident that He’ll be there to catch it.

Action

Commend your spirit into His hands over an issue that arose during your Christmas celebration. Apologize where warranted. Reconcile where warranted. Stand steadfast where warranted. Pray and repeat.