Thomas Cranmer stood for the Reformation during his ministry and the early period of his imprisonment. Cranmer saw his friends, Latimer and Ridley, burned at the stake. Ridley’s death was particularly gruesome as, for some time, the fire burned him without killing him. After months of pressure and the constant threat of the stake, Cranmer faltered. When his courage flagged, he signed papers recanting his Protestant faith. Cranmer was brought forth as a broken man to publicly read a prepared statement of recantation. 

Midway through the speech, the Spirit emboldened him. Cranmer deviated from the script and renounced his recantation. He was immediately taken to the stake. Cranmer took his right hand—the one that had signed the recantation—and plunged it into the fire, so it would be the first thing to burn. “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell” (Matthew 5:30).

All over the world, Christians are losing their livelihoods or their lives because they love Jesus. They don’t just love the Jesus who said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). They love the Jesus who said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12). The Jesus who said, “Blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Me” (Matthew 11:6).

Blessed, indeed. 

It is International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Let’s cry out together for our suffering brothers and sisters. May God pour out mercy on those who are crying out, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long?”