17 Now after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and did obeisance to the king [Joash/Jehoash 837-800 B.C.]; then the king listened to them. 18 They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and served the sacred poles and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. 19 Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the LORD; they testified against them, but they would not listen. (2 Chron. 24:17-19 NRSV)

Jehoash/Joash began to reign at age seven (2 Kgs. 12:1; 2 Chron. 24:1) and under the guidance of the Chief Priest Jehoiada, "did what was right in the sight of the LORD" (2 Chron. 24:2; cf. 2 Kgs. 12:2). The Second Kings account notes that Joash used votive gifts from the temple as a gift to King Hazael of Aram (Syria) and prevent an attack on Jerusalem (2 Kgs. 12:17-18), and the conspiracy of the king's servants leading to his assassination (2 Kgs. 12:20). But "according to 2 Chr. 24:23-27, Joash (Jehoash) was defeated and assassinated because of his apostasy. In the end he turned out to be a true grandson of Athaliah [the wicked Queen of Judah who was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel]" (William F. Stinespring and Burke O. Long, NOAB).

20 Then the spirit of God took possession of Zechariah son of the priest Jehoiada; he stood above the people and said to them, "Thus says God: Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has also forsaken you." 21 But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they stoned him to death in the court of the house of the LORD. 22 King Joash did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah's father, had shown him, but killed his son. As he was dying, he said, "May the LORD see and avenge!" (2 Chron. 24:20-22 NRSV).

Zechariah, son of the priest Jehoiada, rebukes Judah. "Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has also forsaken you" (2 Chron. 24:20). As a consequence he is stoned at the command of King Joash (v. 21). Because Stephen suffered a similar fate (Acts 7:54-60), this account of the stoning of Zechariah is included as a reading for the Feast of St. Stephen.

6:1 Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. 2 And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, 4 while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word." 5 What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

7 The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:1-7 NRSV)

This reading describes the occasion when the early Jerusalem Church selected seven persons to serve, meeting the need of the Hellenists whose "widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food" (v. 1). Stephen stands out as "a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit" (v. 5). His sermon (Acts 7:2-53 shows him to be a worthy successor of Old Testament prophets such as Hosea and Jeremiah, and of Zechariah, the priest who was stoned (in the 2 Chron. 24 reading, above).

We remember Stephen on December 26, the day after Christmas. Hence the song

Good King Wenceslas looked out

On the feast of Stephen,

describes an action of the king on the day after Christmas Day. The tune used with this song is older than the words and was previously used with a hymn often sung on the feasts of Stephen and other martyrs. It begins:

Christian friends, your voices raise.

Wake the day with gladness.

God himself to joy and praise

turns our human sadness:

Joy that martyrs won their crown,

opened heaven's bright portal,

when they laid the mortal down

for the life immortal.

(James Kiefer, http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Stephen.htm)

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

rworden@houston.rr.com