The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Acts 7:51-60, “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting
the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.
52 “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who had previously
announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now
become;
53 you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”
54 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him.
55 But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus
standing at the right hand of God;
56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of
God.”
57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears, and they rushed upon him with one
impulse.
58 And when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid aside
their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.”
59 And they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit!”
60 And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!”
And having said this, he fell asleep.”

A number of men have said it, but the meaning remains the same: “The one thing we learn from history is that we do not learn from history.” This is indeed a truism borne out of the clear historical recitation of Stephen. Anyone who wants a brief and accurate history of Israel needs to look no further than the seventh chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.

It is more than probable that those synagogue officials listening that day understood quite clearly that Stephen was right and that they were locked in disobedience against the people of Israel and against Israel’s God. Are we not just like them? We know what is right, because it is clearly set forth in Holy Scripture. Yet, we love doing what we want more than what the LORD wants of us. It’s much the same as our failure to obey our loving parents, only it’s even more serious when our instruction has come from God!

Sadly, there are those today who are suffering the fate of Stephen because they elect to follow the LORD rather than the instruction of others. Note that Stephen never pled for his life. He threw himself upon the mercy of his loving Heavenly Father and prayed for his executioners in his dying hour. He did not fear death for it was merely the opening to him of his Heavenly Home. Instead, he prayed for those whose actions opposed the LORD of history: “LORD, Jesus, receive my spirit…do not hold this sin against them.” Stephen’s dying prayer paralleled the words of his dying Savior: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk. 23:34).

What an example Stephen leaves for us, as he follows the teaching of our Master: “…love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Mat. 5:44). What happens to us does not matter.
How we react to persecution does! We can learn from history, if only we will.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom