Jack’s Faithfulness – Children’s Corner

Many years ago a young boy, named Jack had a great desire to learn to read. He was a slave and in those days slaves were not permitted to learn to read. It was more equitable for the owners if they remained ignorant. They were treated as animals. Their whole purpose in life was to do their master’s bidding. However Jack wanted more from life and he had a friend named William who started him on his road to legibility. It all started one day when Jack found William with a book.

“What’s that, William?”
“That’s a spelling book, Jack.”
“What’s a spelling book for?”
“To learn to read.”
“How do you do it?”
“We learn those things first”

And so Jack learned ABC, etc. mastered the spelling book, and then learned to read a little, though the law forbade any slave person to read.

One day William brought home a little black book.
“What’s that, William?” asked his friend Jack.
‘That is the New Testament, that tells about Jesus.”

And before long, Jack learned to read the New Testament, and when he read that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” and that he really loved us and died for us, and that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,” his heart went out in love to Jesus. He believed in Him, his sins were forgiven, his heart was changed, and he became a happy Christian.

Though still young, he at once began to tell others of Jesus’ love. When he became a young man, he was still at work for the Lord. He used to go to the neighbouring plantations, read His Bible, and explain it to the people.

One day the master said to him, “Jack, I am told that you go off preaching every Saturday.”
“Yes, master, I must tell sinners how Jesus died on the cross for them.”
“Jack, if you go and preach on Saturday, I will tell you what I will do on Sunday.”
“What will you do on Sunday, master?”
“I will tie you to that tree, take this whip, and flog all this religion out of you.”

Jack knew that his master was a determined man, but when he thought of Christ’s sufferings for us, and heard his Lord saying to him, “Be though faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life,” he resolved to continue his work for the Lord the next Sabbath.”

With his New Testament in hand, he went down to the plantation and told them that his master might whip him half to death the next day, but if he did, he would not suffer more than Christ had suffered for us.

The next morning his master said, ‘Jack, I hear you were preaching again yesterday.”
‘Yes master. I must go and tell sinners how Jesus was whipped mat we might go free.”
“But, Jack, I told you that if you went off preaching on Saturday, I would whip you on Sunday, and now I will do it”
Blow after blow fell upon Jack’s back, while cursing came from the master’s lips. Then he said: – ‘There, Jack, I don’t believe you will preach next Saturday. Now go down to the cotton-field and go to work.”

When next Sabbath came, Jack could not stand straight for his back was covered with sores and scars. But, with his New Testament in his hand, he stood before the people of the plantation, and said, “Master whipped me almost to death last Sunday, and I don’t know but he may kill me tomorrow, but if he does, I shali not suffer more than Jesus did when He died on the cross for us.”

Sunday morning the master called him and said, “Jack, I hear you have been preaching again.”
“Yes, master. I must go and tell sinners how Christ was wounded for our transgressions, how He sweat drops of blood for us in the garden, and wore that cruel crown of thorns that we might wear a crown of joy when He comes.”

“But I don’t want to hear your preaching. Now bare your back, and take the whipping I told you I would give you if you went off preaching.’

Fast flew the cruel lashes, until Jack’s back was covered with wounds and blood.
“Now, Jack, go down to the cotton-field and go to work. I reckon you’ll never want to preach again.”
When Sabbath came, Jack’s back was in a terrible condition. But, hobbling along, he found his friends in the neighbouring plantation and said:

“My master whipped me almost to death last Sunday, but if I can only get you to come to Jesus and love Him, I am willing to die for your sake tomorrow.”

If there were scoffers there, do you not think they were led to believe there was a reality in religion? If any were there who were inclined to think that ministers preach only when they get money for it, do you not think they changed their minds when they saw what wages Jack got? Many were in tears, and some gave themselves to that Saviour for whose sake Jack was willing to die the death of a martyr.

Next morning the master called Jack, and said, “Make bare your back again; for I told you that just as sure as you went off preaching, I would whip you until you gave it up.”

The master raised the ugly whip, and as he looked at Jack’s back, all lacerated, he could find no new place to strike, and said:

“Why do you do it, Jack? You know that as surely as you go off preaching on Saturday, I will whip you almost to death the next day. No one pays you anything for it. All you get is a terrible flogging, which is taking your life from you.”

“You ask me master, what I am doing this for? I will tell you master. I am going to take all those stripes and all those scars up to Jesus when He comes again, because he loves you and me master and He bled and died on the cross for your and my sins.”

The whip dropped, and the master could not strike another blow. In a subdued tone he said:
“Go down in the cotton-field.”
Do you think Jack went away cursing his master, saying, “O Lord punish him for all his cruelty to me?”

No, no! His prayer was, “Lord forgive him, for Jesus Christ’s sake.”
Ab out three o’ clock, a messenger came down to the cotton-field, crying: “Master is dying! Master is dying! Come quickly, Jack. Master is dying!”

In his private room, Jack found his master on the floor in agony, crying, “O Jack, I’m sinking down to hell! Pray for me! Pray for me!”
‘Tve been praying for you all the time, master. You must pray for yourself.”
“I don’t know how to pray, Jack. I know how to curse, but I don’t know how to pray.”
“You must pray, master.”

And finally they both prayed, and God revealed Christ on the cross to him, and then and there he became a changed man.
A few days after, he called Jack to him and said, “Jack, here are your freedom papers. They give you your liberty. Go and preach the gospel wherever the Lord leads you and may the Lord’s blessing go with you.”

The master lived only a few more days, but he died with the hope of seeing Jesus when he comes again.

If we show love to others who hate us and persecute us, our witness may change their hearts. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for my sake – great is their reward in heaven” Pray for those who despise you and persecute you.”