Who is really dying, Steven or his Executioners?

The death of Steven always floors me. As they accuse him of being against the law of Moses, his face is glowing! Ya know, like Moses?!? He lays out for the Pharisees a great swath of their history, up until, a key point, the coming of Moses (wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more) who is one of the many Christ figures. Then he lets them have it! Stubborn, heathen at heart and deaf to the truth! As they shake their fists at him he sees a vision of Christ himself. Face glowing, head raised to heaven, he tells them of his vision, and they suddenly open their eyes and ears and are converted. Oh… ooops. I mean they COVER THEIR EARS and RUN AT HIM SCREEMING! Wow… that is just such an amazing picture of rejection of the truth. They cover their ears!!! It doesn’t say so, but I can just picture them trying to squint their eyes shut as the run at him as well, denying themselves both his words, and the his glowing visage.

In the 12 step program I’m working in, we say that one must be rigorously honest in order to recover, This is true because we have to be able to look at ourselves, God, and the reality around us with eyes unclouded by self interest and fantasy. The Pharisees were, frankly, living in a fantasy, one that dictated that they themselves were righteous and closest to God in all the world. They based this on their rigorous works and legalism. But these things are fruitless because they do not connect us with God, but only trap ourselves within ourselves. They became like those whom God told “I don’t want your sacrifices! I want your hearts!” But they refused to be honest and had a justification for every wrong they did.

See clearly who you are. Get in a 12 step program or a group who is completely honest with you and with whom you can be honest. Without this environment, the truth about yourself may always stay locked just out of site and the roots of your negative actions may never be found, though they lie just inches or feet below the surface. Abandon yourself to God as you understand God and to an honest group and you will find peace as you trudge the road of happy destiny.