Acts 8:1b-4 (NIV)
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
A mob mentality caught fire with the murder of Stephen, throwing justice out the window and inspiring instead a relentless bloodlust that fed a relentless season of violence. Some of the followers of Jesus took charge of Stephen’s body to ensure that he was properly buried and mourned.
But the rest of the Church suddenly found themselves public enemies. Their lives were now at risk as devout Jews, with Saul at their head, began a house-to-house search for anyone who would admit to being a follower of Jesus. To ensure that a patina of legality covered the whole affair, the believers weren’t stoned on the spot, but put into prison until their “case” could be heard.
Jesus had told His followers that when persecution broke out against them in one place, they were to flee and go elsewhere (Matthew 10:23). So, the Christians fled Jerusalem and took up residence in other towns in Judea and Samaria, unconsciously moving into phase two of the evangelistic plan that Jesus had laid out for them (Acts 1:8). But the apostles felt led to continue their ministry to the widows who had no means to leave, to encourage those who had been taken captive, and to continue to spread the good news everywhere there was an opportunity. So, they elected to remain in Jerusalem.
A significant note is included in verse four. Far from being intimidated into silence by what had happened to Stephen, far from claiming that evangelism wasn’t their gift, those scattered believers continued to be faithful to Jesus’ command and continued to preach the word, the good news, everywhere they went.
Father, these men and women are great models for us. All around the world today, Christians are suffering for their faith. But even in the midst of their suffering, they continue to be faithful in sharing the good news at every opportunity, just like those first-century Christians. Help me to be faithful today and every day, to continue to share the good news at every opportunity, to let Your light shine through my life no matter what kind of resistance I run into. Help me to be a witness, Lord, in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2), so that every day and in every way, You can use me to help others to come into Your kingdom. Amen,
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