A Miraculous Testimony
Fortunately, as Gregory explained in his sermon, that was not the end of their influence: I wish to commemorate one person who spoke of their noble testimony because I am close to Ibora, the village and resting place of these forty martyrs’ remains. Here the Romans keep a register of soldiers, one of whom was a guard ordered by his commander to protect against invasions, a practice common to soldiers in such remote areas. This man suffered from an injured foot which was later amputated. Being in the martyrs’ resting place, he earnestly beseeched God [to heal him]. One night there appeared a man of venerable appearance in the company of others who said, “Oh soldier, do you want to be healed of your infirmity? Give me your foot that I may touch it.” When he awoke from the dream, his foot was completely healed.
He roused the other sleeping men because he was immediately cured and made whole. This man then began to proclaim the miracle performed [at the site of the martyrs’ grave] and acknowledged the kindness bestowed by these fellow soldiers. Gregory was convicted and humbled by the testimony of the forty martyrs, and he wanted his audience to be, too. “I have mentioned this,” he concluded his sermon, “for the purpose of strengthening our faith…. Let a Christian depend upon this hope, resist the devil’s temptations, rise against evil men and the seething wrath of tyrants which resembles the sea’s ferocity…. The bountiful grace of Christ is sufficient for every necessity and circumstance, to whom we should attribute all glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Gregory’s Example
Gregory was a man of faith who strengthened the body of Christ in the early church. As the church became more prosperous, it became easier and easier to think that faith and earthly wealth go hand-in-hand. In contrast, Gregory preferred a life of quiet study, remaining a rather subdued, scholarly bishop for the rest of his life. His impassioned plea to not neglect the memory of the martyrs is a mark of humility—surely it is a sign of a humble and thoughtful believer who seeks to learn from the suffering of believers who have come before. His actions echo Hebrews 12:1: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
Date: 4th May 2024
Martyr: Forty Martyrs in an Armenian winter
Location: China (1990-1991)
Source: God’s Generals, the martyrs
Author: Richard Liardon
Suffering Saturday 089
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