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John Wycliffe (5)

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John Wycliffe (5)

5 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

“John Wycliffe is sick!”

“Did you hear that John Wycliffe is so sick?”

The people looked at each other with worried expressions. They loved their pastor.

Other people came home, and their eyes sparkled. No, they would not care if that heretic died!

Father came home. He also looked very sad.

“Do you have any eggs left?” he asked Mother. “I want to visit our pastor and bring him some eggs. They would be good for him.”

“Oh, Dad, do you think Pastor Wycliffe will die?” Cindy looked at him with tears in her eyes.

“I don’t know, Cindy. He is very sick, but the Lord can make him better again. I hope so, for he is still busy with his translation of the Bible. I hope he can finish that for our people. You know that he wrote many other books, but this Bible translation is even more important. It is a tremendous work, though. Maybe he did too much.”

“Look in the chicken coop, Cindy,” Mother said. “Maybe there are some fresh eggs.”

Cindy went outside immediately. The chickens started to cackle when they saw her coming.

“No, no,” she said. “It’s not feeding time yet. I don’t have anything for you now. I came to see whether you have something for me. Let me take a look.”

The chickens jumped and flew close to her feet, but Cindy did not give them the usual attention. Were there any eggs? Fresh eggs for Pastor Wycliffe?

Ah, yes! Her eyes sparkled when she gathered them and carried them very carefully to the house.

A little later, Father left, with the eggs wrapped in a soft cloth. He walked through the country to the village where Pastor Wycliffe lived. How would he be?

When he was close to Lutterworth, he saw some monks walking on the road before him. Where were they going? After a while he saw that they, too, were going to John Wycliffe’s house! What were they planning? Father did not trust them. He walked faster and reached the house just after the monks had gone inside.

He followed them. In the sickroom it was quiet. Father was worried. Was there nobody to keep these men back? Why were they troubling the pastor when he was so sick?

John Wycliffe lay there, very exhausted and very pale; his eyes were closed and his breathing was difficult. He did not see who was standing there so close to his bed.

The monks looked at the sick man in the bed, then they looked at each other. One of the monks began to speak.

“Well, friend, we can see that death is very near you. Maybe it even will be today. That is why we came here. Now you can confess all your wrong-doings before you die. If you confess that you were wrong, the church will forgive you. Otherwise, you cannot enter into heaven. Then we can tell the people that — ”

Father wanted to stop those betraying words. Ah, that’s why those monks had come here, to try to get a confession and then to tell throughout all England that John Wycliffe, the great heretic, had confessed before his death that he had been wrong. Ah! What a mean trick!

Suddenly Pastor Wycliffe opened his eyes. He looked at those pious men in their brown cloaks. He had heard those words, spoken in such a soothing tone. He also understood the true meaning of their coming. He grabbed the arm of one of his helpers and raised himself up. While his helper held him, John Wycliffe pointed with his hand at the monks. The eyes in his deathly white face sparkled, but though his voice trembled, it was very clear: “I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord!”

The three monks became pale. They wanted to say something, but Father held the door open for them. They looked at Father’s face and hastily left the sick room. Father heard them cursing.

Father sat for a little while by the bed.

“Thank you for the eggs, my friend. I hope the Lord will bless them to my body. I have to finish the Bible translation. The people need the whole Bible.”

Father nodded. He felt something in his throat. He could not speak. John Wycliffe was silent for a moment.

“They wish I would die,” he said. “They hate me. They don’t want to lose their lazy, easy life. But above all, they hate it when I point out the errors of the church, especially when I tell them that the bread remains bread and the wine remains wine in the Holy Supper. That takes the power away from the priests. Don’t forget it, friend, Christ with His body is in heaven. In the signs of the sacrament Christ is there with us spiritually.”

Wycliffe could not speak anymore. He was exhausted after everything that had happened.

Father left. When he came down the little country road, he saw Cindy standing by the gate. She came running to meet him.

“Oh, Dad! How is Pastor Wycliffe?”

“He said that he will be better again, Cindy. Let us hope and pray that it will be true.”

“Oh, I am so glad! And was he happy with the eggs?”

“He certainly was!”

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Bekijk de hele uitgave van dinsdag 1 december 1998

The Banner of Truth | 28 Pagina's

John Wycliffe (5)

Bekijk de hele uitgave van dinsdag 1 december 1998

The Banner of Truth | 28 Pagina's