July 6. John Huss. Huss grew up poor and became a priest. But when he came face to face with Jesus Christ, Huss’s heart was changed.
About 1401, Huss got a hold of some writings of John Wycliff, and from then on, he spoke out in favor of ordinary people being able to read the Scripture in their own language. For this and other things he said about the Church, he was condemned.
His last recorded words were, “… in 100 years, God will raise up a man whose calls for reform cannot be suppressed.” Almost exactly 100 years later, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church. On this date in 1415, Huss was burned at the stake for telling the truth.
The enemy can kill us, but they can’t silence the Word of God.
In 1414 Bohemia (in Central Europe), the authority of church and government was all entangled. The Catholic Church owned half of the property in the country, and they didn’t allow people to hear preaching in their own language.
Then a priest named John Huss spoke up against the unfair church-government system.
Naturally, church leaders decided Huss had to be stopped, but he refused to be silenced. He preached only as he was led by the Spirit of God.
To trap him, church leaders sent Huss to a religious council in Germany, and Huss hoped it was going to be a chance to defend his beliefs. Instead, they arrested him and locked him in a filthy dungeon. They accused him of spreading false doctrines, being a heretic, and being disloyal to the Pope.
The Council asked Huss if he had received formal forgiveness from the Pope.
Huss explained he had tried, but it did not work, therefore he had appealed directly to Christ on his own behalf. He explained there was no judge more just and no appeal more effectual than a request made directly to Jesus Christ.
The officials were appalled. They mocked Huss and made fun of him.
And Huss prayed out loud. In today’s English it would be: O God and Lord, now the council condemns even your own action and your own law, and they call it heresy. I say this because you laid your own cause before your Father the just judge as an example for us to copy, whenever we are severely oppressed.
The officials heaped on more contempt, and they condemned Huss as a heretic.
But he fell to his knees and asked God to forgive his enemies in this room.
Officials removed his priestly garments and put a paper miter on his head. It was tall like a bishop’s hat, but with pictures of devils and a label that meant Arch Heretic. Huss reminded them Jesus had worn a crown of thorns for sinners, so Huss would wear the crown of shame for Christ.
Afterward, the bishop announced, “Now we commit thy soul unto the devil.”
Huss lifted his eyes toward heaven and said, “But I do commend into Thy hands, O Lord Jesus Christ my spirit which Thou hast redeemed.”
They led Huss away past the churchyard, where clergy were burning books Huss had written. The smell of the ashes tinged the air.
Outside the city, an executioner chained Huss to a stake and piled sticks and straw up to his neck. Again, he was urged to take back what he had said about the church. But he said, “I never preached any doctrine of an evil tendency; and what I taught with my lips I now seal with my blood.” Above the noise of the crackling flames, Huss praised God.
“When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Matthew 10:19–20 ESV).
In a world gone wrong, would you be a voice for Christ? Jesus is calling for witnesses. The enemy can kill us, but they can’t silence the Word of God.
Cairns, Earle E. Christianity through the Centuries. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1954.
Hus, John. Greatsite.com. “John Hus.” Accessed 2019. https://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/john-hus.html.
Bible Study Tools. Salem Web Network. “Persecution of John Huss.” Accessed 2019. https://www.biblestudytools.com/history/foxs-book-of-martyrs/persecution-of-john-huss.html.
“Therefore, faithful Christian, seek the truth, listen to the truth, learn the truth, love the truth, tell the truth, learn the truth, defend the truth even to death.”
~John Huss
“Rejoice, that the immortal God is born, so that mortal men may live in eternity.”
~John Huss
Story read by: Chuck Stecker
Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter
Audio production: Joel Carpenter
Story written by: Toni M Babcock, https://www.facebook.com/toni.babcock.1
Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/
Project manager: Blake Mattocks
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