Acts 6:1-8
Simple Jobs Done God's Way

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. 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. 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, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word." 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. They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

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. Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

New Revised Standard Version

We're likely familiar with the confrontation between Stephen and the high priest in Jerusalem, where Stephen's face glowed like an angel's face, and his message infuriated and enraged the religious leaders. Not even Jesus of Nazareth had made them this angry, for they handed Jesus over to the Romans for execution, but the immediately dragged Stephen outside of town and stoned him to death.

We know that Stephen's death marked the beginning of widespread persecution of the Christians, and that God used the Christians who were leaving Jerusalem to spread the Christian faith across the region. We probably even know that Saul, who would later be confronted by Jesus on the road to Damascus and be saved, participated in the mob action that took Stephen's life.

What we usually miss, however, is Stephen's job in the church.

Stephen drove the Meals on Wheels truck. (Well, something like that.)

This passage from the first part of Acts 6 is pretty clear that this was a menial task. The twelve apostles were frustrated that their work of teaching and preaching was being cut short by the need to "wait on tables." Sure it's important that widows receive food, but surely somebody else can do that. For that matter, almost anybody can do that job, right?

Ah, but not the way God wants it done!

For this menial job, the believers together chose people of deep faith, they equipped them and supported them in prayer, and God consecrated them into the holy ministry -- of delivering food. These simple daily errands became the opportunity for Stephen to go places and see people who weren't coming into contact with the apostles. It gave Stephen the chance to share about Jesus, to show God's love, and even to do miracles that testified to the power and forgiveness of God. It was these simple chores, performed in a holy way by one who had given himself up to God completely, that was more than the Jewish community could tolerate!

If God could turn Jerusalem upside down because Stephen delivered meals to widows, then God can work great miracles with every menial assignment in the church! In other words, when we clean children's classrooms because they need cleaning and we own cleaning rags, we are missing the point. When we clean children's classrooms because God has set us apart for God's holy work, we have opened ourselves for God to use in unexpected and even improbable ways. We cannot know how God wants to take our simple chores and work miracles with them, but God knows when, where, and how amazing events can happen when we serve God.

Sometimes, our menial assignments will be nothing more than dirty work done with an inward heavenly glow. Sometimes, our menial assignments will allow us to touch others, to plant a seed. We see from Stephen's story that sometimes menial assignments can be powerfully dangerous and even fatal, because evil in the world can't stand the presence of God's Love.

Stephen's calling tells us every job in the church is important to God, and that God wants to set us apart for ministry for even the simplest of tasks, because God wants churches full of Stephens.