Willems rescues his would-be killer.
Christian history is replete with examples of wicked men who sought the lives of the godly, who in turn faithfully witnessed to the wicked. No doubt you can fill in examples from your own knowledge. Two that sprang to my mind were Richard Wurmbrand who showed love to his torturers, and Robert Jaffrey who spoke to his Chinese captors of Christ.
But the noblest story I recalled was that of Dirk Willems. Willems was an Anabaptist pursued for his faith. Fleeing from the man sent to arrest him, he fled across an icy pond. The man followed, but broke through the ice. He cried for help, and Dirk Willems turned back, dragging him to safety. In gratitude, the man-hunter would have let Willems go but a higher official sternly commanded him to fulfill his duty, keep his oath of office, and bring in the prisoner.
Willems held fast his religious views, and was sentenced to burn. At the stake, a strong wind blew the flame away from his body so that his torments were lengthened. Finally the judge could bear to see and hear no more and ordered the executioner to dispatch the victim immediately.
The parallels between Willems’ behavior and Christ’s are obvious. Both are prime examples of this proverb. Neither sought the lives of the bloodthirsty men who took them into captivity. Jesus healed the ear of one who came to arrest him, and testified to the Pharisees and Pilate in words that might have saved their souls had they listened. He appealed to the Father to forgive the soldiers who nailed him to the cross, saying, “They don’t know what they are doing.” And he won the soul of one of the thieves crucified beside him who had earlier mocked him.