Public Proclamation and Martyrdom
On June 30, 1315, he walked into the open market, as he had done before, and proclaimed himself to be the Christian whom the city had banished. He preached Christ—not Mohammed—as the one and only way to heaven. The result is no surprise.
An enraged mob grabbed him and dragged him out of the city. There, either by the command or the implicit agreement of the sultan, they stoned him. Whether he died that day or was rescued, put on a ship, and died later on board from his wounds, is debated by biographers.
A Life Devoted to Christ
One thing, however, is certain: Llull devoted his entire life from conversion on to the study and persuasion of God’s salvation through Jesus Christ, and in the end, he gave his dying breath to proclaim that eternal truth. To be stoned to death while preaching the love of Christ to Muslims—that was the fitting end for such a life. “Llull,” says Noble, “was the greatest of medieval missionaries, perhaps the grandest of all missionaries from Paul to Carey and Livingstone. His career suggests those of Jonah the prophet, Paul the missionary, and Stephen the martyr.”
For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. Philippians 1:21.
Date: 3rd August 2024
Martyr: Ramon Llull
Location: Not specified
Source: God’s Generals – The Martyrs
Author: Roberts Liardon
Suffering Saturday 102
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