Well, congratulations Stephen. You are a person to be reckoned with. The evidence is clear: your opponents are making up fake news about you. Religious leaders have "secretly instigated" some men to make public accusations of blasphemy against you, saying you're dissing Moses and God and claiming Jesus will destroy the temple. Now, like any disciple of Jesus, what you'll do next is clear: stand up and tell the truth in front of everyone about what you really do believe. Confront lies with truth. Only, it may not work out in the way you're hoping...
It's not a new problem. Humankind and that 8th commandment (the one about not bearing false witness) ... We've never been that close. In fact you could say we're estranged.
Especially in this era of social media, where we are more and more responsible for what our friends see and believe to be true, we as people of faith need to take a stand for honesty...And the really bad news about that is that Luther's advice was not just to not openly lie about those with whom we disagree (and yes, posting an article based on a headline that "feels" true, without reading it, is lying), but also to "come to their defense and interpret their actions in the best possible light." Boring. No fun. And yet, following the example of the apostles. It's about listening at least as much as we speak. It's about answering lies with facts and truth instead of our own lies. It's about holding ourselves and those we agree with to every bit as high of a standard as those with whom we disagree. It's about being willing to come off as gruff or impolite for not accepting falsehoods and prejudices, not laughing them off, but shining the light of Christ into their faces. And yes, hoping it works out better for us than for Stephen. But being ready to accept our lot if it doesn't.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit. Form it in your image of truth. Amen.
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