Maybe sometimes in the morning you’ve awoken with a stiff neck. Maybe you were tense and

worried about the next day, or maybe you just slept wrong. It takes some work and stretches to get the

kinks out, to get your head moving smoothly in all directions again. That’s kind of where the expression

“stiff-necked” comes from: only being able to focus in one direction, seeing things in only one way, or

just being plain old stubborn.

Because most of us don’t speak Hebrew or Greek, the ancient scriptural words have been

translated into English as “stiff-necked”; eight times in the Old Testament, and once in the New

Testament. Most of the time, it was God speaking, describing people like us. Uh oh…. Those ancient

people whom God was trying to lead into a better life occasionally got very stubborn, refused to go

down the right paths, preferring the so-called “good old days” when everybody did what was right in

their own eyes.

Fast forward a couple thousand years to the time of Jesus, and just after. Deacon Stephen, a

wonderful, Spirit-filled guy, was hauled before the magistrates to answer for his preaching. Stephen was

patient, he was smart, he was careful to explain the whole backstory of Jesus, the history, etc. but the

court wouldn’t listen. So, he resorted to the ancient description: you are stiff-necked, heathen at heart,

deaf to the truth! You fight against the Holy Spirit of God, and are persecutors just like your forefathers

were!

At which point, the powers-that-be stoned him to death. The lesson here is not on the side of

stubbornness. Stephen was trying to help them understand the big picture: look around you, listen

carefully and don’t be so attached to your selfish love of money and power that you are blinded to sane,

sensible ideas like loving your enemies, putting away your swords, and being kind to those less

fortunate. Over the long term, stiff-necked stubbornness doesn’t work out well.

Everyone is welcome at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church: Sunday service at 10 a.m. and coffee hour

afterwards.