Lord, do not hold this sin against them

Acts 7:51-8:1a (TNIV) -

51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—

53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”
54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him,

58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

60 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.

1 And Saul approved of their killing him.

My thoughts -

Verse 60 just kills me. How do you react to your own stoning like this? How do you pray for those who are literally KILLING you. Stephen is being tried here for things he did not say. When asked if the accusations are true he rips off one of the most inspired sermons of all time (see Acts 6:8-7:50 for the whole back story) instead of defending himself. He's filled with the Spirit and speaking truth to power. And then that power has had enough and bum rushes him and stones him.

There's nothing about this that's fair to Stephen. There's nothing about this that's right. But rather than fight back or lash out he accepts his fate and prays to God both for himself and for his attackers. I don't think I could do that. Fortunately I am not likely to find out.

The other thing that jumps out to me is the mentioning of Saul's participation and approval. We all know that Saul became Paul and yet it always strikes me to read about his persecution of the early church. It's one thing to be against something and then later change your mind. Heck, I change mine all the time. But this man killed people for his early convictions. That's a big change. Paul may be the second most important person in our faith's history so we allow for this change in him, but do we allow it for others?

I don't really. I know I need to. Maybe if I were the type of person who could pray for his enemies like Stephen (that's really an understatement - Stephen is praying for his MURDERERS) I would also be the kind of person who would allow Grace to mold others and I could extend it to them more.

I carry resentments. I hold on to wrongs done to me by others. Yet I notice that the pillars of our faith, these early saints don't seem to do that.

And I wonder why I'm not more like them.