John Huss & Jerome

The song says it only takes a spark to set the whole fire going. And once the fire was lit in one part of Europe, it spread quickly to other areas. John Wycliffe had made a massive impact, not just in England, but further afield in Europe, in particular here in Prague and the region that was known then as Bohemia.

John Huss was of humble birth and his father died soon after he was born. His mother sought an education for him and he was able to get admission to the University of Prague as a charity scholar. As she reached Prague with her son, she knelt down and prayed that God would bless his life. A prayer that was answered again and again. He soon distinguished himself by his tireless application to study and by his blameless life. Upon completing his studies, he entered the priesthood and and rapidly rose to prominence, soon becoming attached to the court of the King. In a few short years, he was the pride of his country and his name was known all over Europe. Today they've built a statue to commemorate him here in the old town square.

Several years after becoming a priest, Huss was appointed preacher of the Bethlehem Chapel here in Prague. The founder of this particular chapel had advocated as a matter of importance, the preaching of the Scriptures in the language of the people. At that time, there was a large degree of ignorance concerning the Bible, and Hus also believed that it was vitally important to preach the Scriptures in the language of the people.

At this point in his life, Huss came in contact with Jerome, who had proved to be his right hand man until his death. Jerome was a citizen of Prague and he had brought back with him from a recent trip to England the writings of John Wycliffe. The Queen of England at that time was also a convert of John Wycliffe, and she was a Bohemian princess. And through her influence, his writings were circulated at length in Bohemia. Huss read them, believed their author to be a sincere Christian, and believed the writings to be true.

Hus's impact was growing, not just here in his homeland, but also in neighboring Germany. And soon news of the work here in Prague reached Rome and he was summoned to appear before the Pope. To go would be fatal. The King and Queen of Bohemia, the nobility and the government all asked for a local trial, but this was not granted. The trial of Hus went ahead in his absence, during which the city of Prague was put under interdict. This struck terror into the hearts of everyone. No church services could take place. Baptisms, funerals, weddings, those ceremonies that were so key to life in general were not allowed to take place. And through this means Rome was able to hold sway over the people.

The city was in turmoil and Tahuss withdrew to his native village, but he continued to travel to the surrounding countryside, where he was able to preach to eager crowds. When the danger and excitement had subsided, he was able to return to Prague, where, alongside with Jerome, he was able to continue his.

During this time in Europe, there was not one or two but three rival popes, all claiming to be the Vicar of Christ. This abuse of power in the church was something that many men strongly condemned. Huss being one of the loudest voices the emperor at that time, Emperor Sigismund, called for a council in Constance, Germany, to settle this dispute once and for all, and also to to deal with some of the new heresies arising from men such as John Huss that they didn't agree with. Hus was summoned to appear before the council and was given assurance of a safe passage by the emperor. One thing that stands out from this story is the prayer that John Huss's mum made with him as he was on his way to university. I want to encourage you if you're praying for a child, if you're praying for a parent, to never give up in your prayers. The prayer of John Huss mother was answered many, many times over in ways that she couldn't have even imagined. Maybe you're praying for your children. Maybe they're on their way to school. Maybe you're praying for a loved one. Keep them in prayer and never think that our prayers will go unanswered. God does hear and God does answer our pray.

Sam.