The Meaning of Martyr

What is a true martyr?

Over the past days and weeks, several stories of assisinations in the USA have saturated the news. The various people come from different backgrounds and belief systems and fought for different kinds of things. But they share the commonality of having died for their beliefs, which by modern definition makes them all martyrs.

That word martyr (martyrion) in Greek literally means witness. The idea of a Christian martyr is not so much that they will be willing to die in a one time act of support for a cause (like a suicide bomber) as much as that they will bravely maintain a witness to the truth of Jesus Christ, despite any opposition or persecution, to the point of death. It is as much or more about how we are willing to live than our willingness to die.

Acts 7-9 tells the story of the first recorded Christian martyrdom (and perhaps the most famous) and the fate of the one person whose name is personally associated with that assasination.

The stoning of Stephen is both a religious and a political act. It is also a complete and utter failure. In efforts to shut down the business of sharing the Gospel of Christ, those who orchestrate the death of Stephen actually set up the Gospel to be franchised. When the people scatter in fear, they bring their faith with them, and the message begins to spread exponentially.

Even more remarkably, Saul/Paul, the one man whose name is associated with Stephen's death, whose life mission at the time is to kill whole families of believers (babies included), becomes one of the most prominant names in the New Testament (second only to the members of the holy trinity) as the evangelist who shares the message of Christ with people all over the Roman world. His life is also eventually ended because of the message he shares, which only further spreads the Gospel for which he surrenders his life in every conceivable way.

Only God's love can turn the most calculating martyrer into the greatest martyr. The key is not domination, but loving forgiveness. The very last words Stephen says are words of forgiveness for Paul and anyone else who has a hand in Stephen's murder. Stephen is less concerned with looking "right" before them and more concerned with them being right with God. This is the power of love and forgiveness.

There has been a lot of finger pointing and hatred going on about these modern assassinations in the U.S.A.. But what if we chose a different path, Stephen's path? Do we believe that it is possible for even the murderers to come to faith and be a witness to others, no matter what their legal outcomes? Or was that just a one time miracle? Do we believe that God can still work through godly submission, humility and love over domination and the pay-back mentality?

Let's get righteously angry, but let's get angry at the right things. Our battle is not against people. And let's fight God's way. Rather than exalting the evil by constantly ranting about it, lets exalt and glorify God by acknowkedging the evil, but focusing on God's goodness. That's what Stephen, and eventually Paul, did. And that is the kind of witness that changes the world.

I say this with humility as one who needs this same reminder. Honestly, I have been struggling with negativity the past few days. Why do we humans tend to default to the negative? It never helps. Perhaps there is a such thing as spiritual gravity, dragging those who will not stand to the lower common denominators. But it is in standing, in holding our heads up, in reaching for higher things, that we gain strength and health.

Scripture: Acts 8, 9

Photo by Klara Kulikova on Unsplash

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