In Steven's End: A Beginning

But filled with the Holy Spirit,

he gazed into heaven and saw

the glory of God and Jesus standing

at the right hand of God.

‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see the heavens opened

and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’

(from Acts 7:55-60)

The youth were in trouble. 

Quinipet Camp & Retreat Center on Shelter Island, NY was the location of my student pastor MYF retreat.

Some youth decided to energize the retreat with marijuana.

They got caught with the "weed".

Their defense was claiming using "weed" was OK because the Bible said "Peter got stoned." 

It was time for a new beginning.

So, I prophesied unto them: collect the weed now and I will dispose of it, or I will explain your Bible verse to your parents at the retreat's conclusion. 

The new beginning: youth fellowship is about trust not deception.

Steven was in trouble.

Following the euphoria of Easter stories, Thomas' experience, and Jesus' Emmaus Road meal, comes this wretched story of Steven.

The backstory to Steven's stoning is critical for understanding.

Steven heatedly accuses the Synagogue leaders, Jerusalem's supreme court of rabbis, of being enemies of God because they rejected Jesus.

He is brought before the Sanhedrin.

Stephens' defense is retelling the history of Israel's unfaithful relationship with God and using the Scriptures reminds them of killing the prophets.

They're enraged, take him outside to kill him by stoning.

With the stones crushing him he says:

“Look, I see the heavens opened

and the Son of Man standing

at the right hand of God!”

As he experiences tragedy, Steven encourages those watching to look to God.

Look with "eyes to see"; God is with us.

God is committed right here and now.

To the youth, God spoke a new beginning with a prophetic word of trust.

During Stephen's stoning, God spoke prophetic words of hope.

When we're enduring trouble, God speaks prophetic words to look beyond them by fixing your eyes on Jesus.

God speaks prophetic of hope right here, right now.

Receiving Jesus' Bread of Hope

That evening, the two on the road said,“Stay with us"

So he went in to stay with them.

When he was at the table with them,

he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.

Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; 

and he vanished from their sight."

(from Luke 24:13-35)

What do you think is Jesus' most distinguishing activity?

The Crucifixion? Preaching to a crowd? Healing the sick?  Glorified at God's right hand?

In Luke's Gospel, Jesus' most distinguishing activity is being at table with an ordinary meal and ordinary people. 

Jesus also dined at table with sinners, tax collectors, and powerful people.

Jesus' sharing and blessing bread with all sorts of people, is a radical act

breaking down socially accepted boundaries.

That's exactly what's happening on the Emmaus Road.

Cleopas and another person were reviewing and debating the facts of Jesus' death and resurrection.

Jesus joins them, unrecognized, yet they strongly insist he dine with them.

That's when Jesus does what Jesus does; he overturns the status quo.

Jesus becomes the host instead of being the guest by taking blessing and giving the bread.

For Cleopas and the other person, recognition occurs because Jesus did what Jesus does: taking, blessing, and giving them bread.

Recognizing Jesus takes place gathering at the Lord's table, hearing Jesus words, and watching the bread broken then given to us.

Reaching out and receiving the Lord's blessed bread is encouraging a new confidence and new hope. 

The Emmaus Road story, by God's grace, undergirds our hope as Jesus walks with us on whatever road we may be travelling.

The road I travel is one calling for awareness and resolution to complex social and political issues and caring about the people suffering consequences.

I am disillusioned at the apparent neglect or delay of the outcomes I care most about.

Like Cleopas and the other disciple, the consequence is not what I expect.

It's at times like these that bread blessed, broken, and given reminds me that Jesus walks with us providing hope.

At Holy Communion, Jesus walks with us, encouraging us, feeds us hope on the road we travel. 

Think about it: When has God revealed something to you that changed your behavior, thinking, or faith?

In Panic: "Peace Be With You"

"When it was evening on that day, 

the first day of the week, 

and the doors of the house

 where the disciples had met

 were locked for fear of the Jews, 

Jesus came and stood among them and said,

 “Peace be with you.” 

(From John 20:19-31)

Thomas got a really bad rap.

It began when the disciples were in a locked room out of fear and Jesus appears to them saying, "Peace be with you."

Jesus says "Peace be with you" twice, calming the disciples at this astounding, unexpected appearance.

Jesus shows them his hands and side.

Thomas, though, was elsewhere and didn't see Jesus hands and side, so when the disciples say they saw Jesus, he doubts their story.

And thus, Thomas earns the undeserved title of "Doubting Thomas".

This, however, is a resurrection story. 

The resurrection stories intent is to show, that even in locked doors of fear and anxiety, Jesus brings peace.

Because the human events of the past week were enough to wreck a sense of security or peace Jesus' disciples might have felt, it was necessary to bring inner peace. 

A week later, the disciples are gathered in a locked room and Jesus appears saying to Thomas, the one who wanted proof, "Peace be with you"

Having received the proof, Thomas recognized Jesus as the Son of God.

All of us, when, caught in the paralysis of fear, need to experience the Jesus' peace in our hearts.

When fear assails us, it's futile trying to overcome it ourselves.

Jesus's words of peace are necessary in order to set aside the paralysis of fear holding us bound, and restoring order in our lives.

Our world has widespread turmoil with global, national, and social unrest.

Our lives can feel tension and anxiety from time to time.

Through prayer and searching the Scriptures, Jesus' peace calms out hearts, helping us endure the upheavals and tensions we face disrupting our souls.

By faith in Christ, we can eternally hear Jesus' calming, assuring words:

"Peace be with you"

Think about it: What do you do with your own questions of faith in times fear and anxiety?

Seeing the Light

"After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning,

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.

And suddenly there was a great earthquake;

for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven,

came and rolled back the stone and sat on it."

 ( from John 20:1-18 )

Mary Magdalene was heartbroken.

It was a hard road she traveled, first with the delight of witnessing Jesus' healing, casting out demons, then the Jerusalem journey, trial, torture, crucifixion, last words, and death of her beloved Teacher.

Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus' body, placed it in his own tomb, covered it, and sealed it according to custom.

The inner darkness of these traumatic experiences leaves Mary desperate to find a ray of hope, the dawning of a new day.

So, in predawn darkness, she sets off to the tomb to do whatever it took to serve Jesus in death.

Arriving at the tomb, she sees the stone rolled away, runs and tells Peter Jesus body has been stolen.

Others return home, but Mary staying at the tomb looks inside and sees two angels who ask, "why are you weeping?"

Jesus asks her twice, "why are you weeping?" before she recognizes him.

She runs and tells the others, “I have seen the Lord.” 

In the Gospel of John that indicates, "I have seen the light." (John 1:4) 

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:5)

Easter Sunday means more to me than celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, sunrise services, a crowded church, Easter egg hunts, and family gatherings.

It means the dawning of a new day in which the darkness of evil, injustice, and oppression are overcome by the light of Christ.

There is plenty of darkness in the lives of others as they endure pain, sorrow, and grief while searching for the Light of Christ.

The "angel" of someone praying with you in your grief shines a light of healing which the darkness cannot overcome.

Boldly, Easter Sunday proclaims: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:5)"