July 31, 2008 - Acts 6:15

“All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” Acts 6:15.
Stephen had defended himself before his zealous religious adversaries and had withstood their arguments. Having suffered defeat, Stephen’s adversaries brought him before the Sanhedrin, the religious governing body of Israel, and false accusations had been put forward against him. Instead of reacting to the charges, Stephen stood in his own defense, and, as everyone present strained to see him, it was said that Stephen’s “face was like the face of an angel.”
I wonder what the face of an angel looks like. I used to think of chubby, cute, little baby-like creatures that fly around with silly smiles on their faces, but somehow I don’t think that this is as Stephen’s face appeared. Imagine what Joshua felt when confronted with an angelic creature. When he saw this angel’s appearance, he was struck with fear and had to be told not to fear. This mighty warrior was afraid at the appearance of an angel. Wow! Now this is more like it! I have an easier time imagining Stephen’s face appearing as a mighty warrior of God, shining forth His holiness and grace.
I look in the mirror and struggle to see any resemblance of such strength, grace, and mercy. Yet my desire is to have such a countenance. I believe that this man, Stephen, was, indeed, a dangerous warrior for God’s purposes, and at least one of his zealous adversaries, who had witnessed all of these proceedings, was soon to be transformed by Stephen’s words as well as his “angelic” countenance. Saul, who would become Paul, would never be the same again.
Questions to consider: What expression do you and I carry on our faces? Do we carry the expression that conveys our hope in God, or some other one? How does the expression on our face tell the world around us what we believe and where our hope is?
Prayer: Father, help me to remember the hope that we have in You, and help me to express Your hope to a lost and dying world around me through the “angelic” expression on my face. Amen.