Forgive And Pray For Your Enemies

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 

                                                                                    (Acts 7:55-60 KJV)

There are times when we might think that we will never be able to forgive someone. Yet, here is Stephen following in the footsteps of Jesus, forgiving those who are putting him to death. A young man Saul, is witness to this event. This young man you probably know better as St. Paul, missionary to the gentiles. Yes, Paul the great persecutor of Christians was there to witness and encourage the stoning of Stephen. 

Saul persecuted Christians. That is, he persecuted them until the day that he met the ascended Lord on his way to Damascus to hunt down even more Christians. In that encounter with the Lord, the Lord asked Saul why he was so busy persecuting him. That was the day that the old man in Saul died and Paul began to live and serve the Lord even to his own death. One of the most ardent persecutors of Christians became one of the greatest missionaries ever once he met the Lord. We can never know what the Lord has in store for any of us, not even our enemies.

Forgive your enemies and pray for them, even as our Lord Jesus and Paul and many other saints have gone to their deaths, praying for and forgiving their enemies. For our hope is not in this world. Our hope lies in the promise that as we draw our last breaths that we, too, might look to the heaven and see the glory of God, with Jesus standing at His right hand.

God's Peace - Pr. J