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Notes from Tim Keller’s Sermon Suffering and Glory. This sermon was part of Tim Keller’s series on the book of Acts. It is on the very long speech of Stephen. 

The Bind Humanity Faces Regarding a Heavenly Judge

Agnostic humanity is in a bind regarding both the existence and our need for a heavenly judge. Keller first uses the Arthur Miller quote he often employs:

Arthur Miller tries to explain why he is depressed, why he finds life so hard. The quote is found in Arthur Miller’s play “After the Fall” which this website says is where he was processing his relationship with Marilyn Monroe. Keller also used the quote in his book the Reason for God. You can also find the quote in Google Books.

Arthur Miller’s character Quentin in After the Fall says: For many years I looked at life like a case at law. It was a series of proofs. When you’re young you prove how brave you are, or smart; then, what a good lover; then, a good father; finally, how wise, or powerful or [whatever.] But underlying it all, I see now, there was a presumption. That one moved . . . on an upward path toward some elevation, where . . . God knows that . . . I would be justified, or even condemned. A verdict anyway. I think now that my disaster really began when I looked up one day . . . and the bench was empty. No judge in sight. And all that remained was the endless argument with oneself, this pointless litigation of existence before an empty bench. . . Which, of course, is another way of saying despair.

So on one hand you are always attempting to justify yourself, to prove yourself before an audience. (This is where I extrapolate on Keller’s point). We long for a cosmic judge because then we can receive a definitive answer. If the bench is empty, if there is no cosmic judge, what are we left with? We are left with the judgments of others around us. We seek the beautiful, the powerful, the knowledgable, those who have status and qualities that the court of public opinion coalesce around. Their opinions then inspire us, or crush us.

If there is a heavenly judge we are faced with the fact that we must stand before a bench we cannot bribe, schmooze or cajole. An absolutely true judge who has perfect access to all the facts, one before whom we know we will fall.

If there is no cosmic judge, then all the evil, hatred and barbarity of this world wins, and we are left with a quenchless, endless thirst to justify ourselves before others.

Thus enters Jesus who stands before the judge in Stephen’s vision to plead Stephen’s case with his own blood.