Cometh the moment, cometh the man, or woman.
A modern cliché meaning that no matter what the situation, someone will appear who can turn the tide and triumph over adversity, and taken in the Christian context, good triumphing over evil. Augustine of Hippo wrote, “Our pilgrimage on earth cannot be exempt from trial. We actually progress by means of trial. We do not know ourselves except through trial or receive a crown except after victory”
Acts chapter 6 tells us of Stephen’s trial and progression. Stephen was the disciple who was selected by the 12 apostles to lead a group of 7 men to look after the distribution of food to the widows in Jerusalem because they were being neglected. We’re told that Stephen “performed great wonders and signs among the people” but opposition grew against him, to the extent that there was a fallout with some of the members of the “Synagogue of the Freedmen” (most likely these were Jews who had been Roman slaves). These men stirred up the people so much that they brought false accusations against Stephen to the Sanhedrin, saying that he had blasphemed against the Temple.
Tried before the Sanhedrin, Luke writes that Stephen’s face was like that of an angel as he witnessed to them in his defence. Stephens’s words fell on deaf ears and in their fury, the Sanhedrin gnashed their teeth against him, rushed him and dragged him outside the city walls to be stoned to death.
Eusebius in his History of the Church has this to say about Stephen, he writes,
‘almost as soon as he was ordained, as if this was the real purpose of his advancement – to be put to death, stoned by the Lord’s murderers. Thus, he was the first to win the crown called by the same name as he had reserved for Christ’s worthily victorious martyrs.’ It’s interesting to note that the Greek name Stephen means Crown or Garland.
But even amid this ferocious melee, we read Acts 6: 59-60 that,
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
Stephen’s victory, just like our Lord’s was won through passive submission, not aggression. So, in this, we see that we too are to be like Christ as we win our victories for God against the evils that exist in the hearts of men. We can only do this through love and not by hatred. As each of us faces the trials that come our way in this life, pray asking Christ to fill our hearts with his love, then we can praise our saviour and give God the glory.
The words of the hymn "Perfect submission, describe where our hearts and minds should be in times of trial;
Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Saviour am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness,
lost in His love.
In the Book of Revelation 4: 10-11, we read of the 24 elders;
the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will, they were created and have their being.”
The crowns that the 24 elders received from God as a reward for the victories over the trials they'd overcome in this life, what do they do with them, they lay them down before God’s throne.
We see here that every work we do, or strive to do for the Lord, is not for our glory. St Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2 “so that none may boast”, everything is for the glory of God.
Cometh the moment, cometh the man or woman, but who is that person, the person that cometh for each trial? It is you and it’s me, but none of us can stand on our own, each of us is lifted, held strong, and given the strength to endure to the end by the power and strength of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.
In submission, we find the peace of the Lord,
Have a great day, and God bless,
Trev.