Thursday, August 16: Acts 7- Like father; like son.

My wife and I have been going through boxes and boxes of old photos, maybe 25 years worth. Some are dated and others not. We are culling our pre-digital photos, keeping good shots and tossing out duplicates and bad shots. We are also organizing them into year and month & activity. It has become quite a project. So far our organized photos fill a dozen photo shoe boxes!

One of the joys of this much-longer-than-we-expected project is the journey down memory lane that the photos provide. My wife and I have smiled and laughed and teared-up going through the photos. There are so many photos of my kids, particularly my boys, doing what I am doing (My wife was the family photographer in the early days so we have many less pictures of her during those years).

Like father; like son would be a good caption.

When I read the report of Stephen's death, "like father; like son" came to mind. Stephen acted very much like his Lord Jesus at his death.

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 (59-60).

Jesus prayed, "into your hands I commit my spirit" shortly before he died (Luke 23:46). Jesus also prayed, "Father forgive them because they know not what they doing" (Luke 23:34). I smile realizing that both of these quotes are found in Luke's first volume, his gospel.

Stephen, like Jesus; like disciple.

As I was typing those last words it hit me… am I like Jesus? Would I in the face of this tragedy emulate Jesus? Do I emulate Jesus in my everyday living?

I consider myself a disciple of Jesus and disciples do what their master's do and they behave like their master's behave. Disciples are learning to be like their masters. Am I learning to be like Jesus? Really am I?

Are you?

Think about it…

O Jesus in this account Stephen is called 'a man full of the Holy Spirit' (7:55). I pray that I too am known as a man full of the Holy Spirit and that in my life people see reflections of You. In Your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.