Visions of the Finish Line
The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. – Acts 7:54-55 (NLT)
What motivates and drives our daily lives is shaped significantly by what our goals look like. In a real sense, all our endeavors commence with some notion of the ends we are trying to achieve.
Reality and lived experience sometimes reshape our goals and expectations. Experience teaches us that narrow goals often need to be broadened, and unrealistic ones must be tested. When refined by Spirit and truth, our goals provide even stronger motivation for courageous discipleship.
Some first-century Jews and Jewish Christians believed that, upon death, the souls of the righteous entered a blissful holding place to await final judgement. This place was sometimes described as Paradise, or the Garden of Eden, or the Bosom of Abraham. Such a vision of the ultimate finish line helped to inspire perseverance through life’s darkness, believing there is a place of rest for the weary.
We don’t know what precise vision of heaven the early deacon, Stephen, held in his heart. But the vision of heaven he received at the end of life is the vision that gave him the courage to lay down his life for the gospel of Christ.
In his last view of eternal glory, Stephen saw no renewed paradise … no fluttering angels… no mansions in the sky. Stephen saw the one we call Love-Made-Flesh, standing forever in the highest place of sacred honor and revered above all else.
And in that vision, Stephen found what he was willing to live and die for.
Prayer
Lord help me to recognize what’s worthy of my life, so I’ll be truly fit to live. Amen.
About the AuthorKenneth L. Samuel is Pastor of Victory for the World Church, Decatur, Georgia.