Thursday, October 25, 2007
Luke 21:12 But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being witnesses to them.
FORERUNNERS OF THE REFORMATION: THE DEATH OF JOHN HUSS (1369-1415)
Like Christ, His apostles would also be abused, arrested and falsely accused before civil authorities. But in the end, even the shameful treatment of Christ's men would serve to bring the gospel to more people.
After being excommunicated for opposing the church's selling of salvation by way of indulgences, John Huss went into hiding. But Huss genuinely wanted the conflict to be healed and the truth of God's Word to be taught.
Therefore, when Emperor Sigismund asked Huss to appear at the Council of Constance, Huss said he would be there. The emperor had convinced Pope John XXIII to call this council to end the Papal schism which had resulted in three popes now claiming authority in the church.
Huss traveled to Constance trusting the emperor's promise of safe conduct to and from the city and hoping to speak to reasonable men. He would be disappointed in both points.
After arriving in Constance, Huss was detained by representatives of the church and held in the dungeon of a Dominican monastery. Though the emperor was furious at how the church had ignored his promise of safe conduct, he chose not to act on Huss' behalf, fearing that the council would break up and leave other issues unresolved.
After a false trial, Huss was condemned as a heretic and burned at the stake.
Remarkably, Huss told his judges that he was willing to change if corrected using the Bible. Like the Apostles, Huss was blessed with the honor of proclaiming God's truth before men of high authority.
Even in his death, Huss continued to proclaim the name of his Savior. Before the wind shifted and the flames enveloped him completely, Huss was heard repeating this prayer:
"O Christ, thou Son of God, have mercy on me."
