24 April 2005

Acts 7:54-60

A Dangerous Religion

Edward F. Markquart, a Preacher and teacher from Seattle, Washington wrote, "One of the most inspiring martyrs I have known through the media is Jean Donovan. How I love her story. There was a TV special about her entitled, THE ROSE OF DECEMBER. She was a lay person, a Roman Catholic missionary from England. She was a large, strong boned woman, in her mid-twenties. She was drawn to the orphans of El Salvador when that country was a mess. She was back home to England for a wedding and all of her friends said to her 'Stay here Jean. Stay here because if you go back you will be killed.' She just had to go back to El Salvador, to her orphans. So she did. She got off the plane, got into a van, drove outside of town and her vehicle was ambushed by renegade soldiers. She was raped, killed and her body thrown into a grave. Jean Marie Donovan was another one of thousands of martyrs for Jesus Christ."

Let us pray...

Today is the fifth Sunday of Easter. For weeks we prepared ourselves for Resurrection Sunday. And, on Easter we talked about the power of the resurrection and what happened to those who witness it. We said that one of the most powerful evidences that exist about the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the actions of the disciples before and subsequently, after the death of their teacher and Lord. We said that only an event like the resurrection of Jesus Christ would have been strong enough to transform common folks, fishermen, into revolutionary people willing to risk it all to change the world.

Scholars tell us that by the time Stephen joined the church, the Jews who believed in Jesus Christ were beginning to be expelled from the Temple. Those who believed Jesus was the Messiah and those who did not were beginning to realize they were taking different paths. Up to this point, the followers of Jesus were still considered Jews. As you may recall, they were then called "the people of the way," and later "Christians."

What is striking to me is that people were willing to kill those who believed differently. It is one thing to expel people from the Temple, but it is another to kill them. Blaise Pascal once said, "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction." Let me say that again, "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction." Christians know first-hand the power of religion and how religion or religious conviction has been used to justify doing evil. In a few days a new movie will come out in theaters nation-wide. I believe the title will be "The Kingdom of Heaven." This movie will be about the Christian crusades of the 11th and 12th centuries, and the death and destruction they brought in the name of our God. In our times, religion has been used and will continue to be used to justify wars and destruction. There have been more Christians killed in the last century alone than in the past 500 years. However, when it comes to killing and destroying lives in the name of God, we as a nation are no less guilty. Though I know people are willing to kill in the name of God, it is no less striking to read it again. The fact is that the first and second generations of believers were killed. Scholars tell us that it is very likely that all of Jesus' disciples, including the women, were killed. They became martyrs of the faith.

Yet, what is more remarkable is that even though there was great persecution and people were being killed, the Christian movement grew. I do not know about you, but to me it is more difficult to explain why the movement grew than why they were persecuted. In other words, why would anyone join a movement where his/her life will be in danger? What the movement or the Christians had to offer, had to be more important then persecution, more important than death.

Emiliano Zapata, a Mexican revolutionary once said, "I rather die on my feet, then live my life on my knees." In other words, he was saying, "I rather die standing up, respecting my self, with some dignity, than live my life as a slave." Perhaps Jesus Christ gave dignity, meaning and purpose to our lives. Perhaps people were willing to die knowing their lives had meaning and purpose, than live their lives without them. Perhaps people were willing to die having been liberated from sin and evil, than live their lives enslaved by them. Perhaps people were willing to die having known what is like to be loved, to be respected and to be accepted, than to live their lives without knowing what these things feel. Perhaps people were willing to die with Christ, than live without him.

For Stephen, believing Jesus was the Messiah the prophets spoke about, and believing what Jesus stood for, was worth dying for. Stephen stood before his Jewish brothers and carefully explained to them how God worked in the lives of Abraham, Joseph and Moses. He said to them, that even though these men served God, their people often did not understand and believe what they were saying and doing. Then, with a prophet voice, Stephen challenged them as Jesus had done in the past by saying, "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do... You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it."

What happened next was no less than a group lynching. The Jewish authorities took Stephen outside the city gates and without mercy stoned him to death. Luke tells us that when Stephen was about to die, he saw "the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" Theologians and scholars have made a big deal about what he saw. In New Testament literature Jesus is said to be seated at the right hand of God. There is a lot we can say about this idea of Jesus being seated at the right hand of God. However, what is more striking is that Stephen saw Jesus standing, not sitting at the right hand of God. Scholars agree that this difference is not accidental. Jesus stood up to see Stephen die at the hands on an angry mob. Jesus stood up to witness the death of Stephen.

And here we have an important connection. The Greek word for witness is the same word for martyr. If fact, martyr means to be a witness. In a strange way, both Jesus and Stephen were martyrs; both of them were witnesses to the same account.

I often think of how easy it is to call myself a Christian; how easy it is to be a Christian in this nation. The chances of me dying for my faith are very slim. In fact, I venture to say none of us will die a martyr's death. Having said that, however, I believe all of us can be witnesses for Jesus Christ. Our English sister Jean Marie Donovan died a martyr's death not simply because she was killed, but because she was being a witness to the love and mercy of God. She was doing what Jesus would have done.

And here we have my main point. Our faith asks of us to preach Jesus as Lord and King. Our faith asks of us to share with the world what we have experienced through Jesus Christ. Our faith asks of us to show mercy and justice to the world, especially to those who suffer. Our faith asks of us to be prophetic; to open our mouths and tell the world what is unjust, unfair and evil. We are not called to kill. We are called to denounce evil. And, I believe if we dare to do what our faith asks of us, the world will dislike us. The world, including our nation, might persecute us. Our faith is a dangerous religion. However, much like those who were persecuted for their faith, I rather be persecuted because of my faith, because of Jesus Christ, than to live my live without Him.

We have seen the power of the risen Lord. We know that Jesus' resurrection forever changed the world. We have been touched by the Divine. We have met our Lord and Savior. In the midst of our suffering, pain and despair, we have seen our Lord. He has broken bread with us. He has walked with us. Our God has been merciful and just to us.

Now, let us be witnesses for him. Let us show the world what we have seen and experienced. Let us tell the world our God does not delight in evil. Our God is a God of love that can not and will not approve injustices and evil. Let us be witnesses to Christ. Death may or may not come, but that is not what is important. What is important is that we become witnesses of our faith, that we do what our faith asks of us, how ever dangerous that might be.

Amen.