John Bunyan: The Jailor's Story
This is an electronic version of our Glimpses for Kids children's worship bulletin inserts.
These are designed to present Christian biographies for Children's church, educational or worship ministries. Taking a Stand
I watched for trouble as John Bunyan preached to a crowd in the town square.
The foolish man had been warned he'd be arrested for preaching outside
the church. At this rate, he'd end up in my jail before long.
 John
Bunyan
"I must preach," I once heard him tell an officer. "When God lays that
on a man's heart, it is terrible to disobey, more terrible than your jails."
"Humph," I thought. "Does he really know what jail is like?" Did he understand
how dark they were, how only the faintest light penetrates the damp stone
walls? Did he realize that he'd get just a quarter loaf of bread a day
and that no one in the crowded cells got to bathe?
If Bunyan did know about these conditions, he didn't let it stop his
preaching. I became curious. Why would a man act like this? Did Bunyan
really believe what he said about God? What did I believe? These questions
were in my mind when I went to hear him, hoping no one in the crowd would
recognize me.
Bunyan's preaching kept my attention. I'll give him that. He spoke about
what makes a person a Christian. Now that was a funny thing to talk about.
Weren't we all Christians since we were born into the Anglican Church?
"Those who receive Christ are the ones who truly know God," he shouted.
That's when it started-- a disturbance at the edge of the crowd. Officers
of the British government muscled their way past worshipers. "John Bunyan,
we arrest you in the name of the king for holding an illegal religious
meeting."
I slipped away and returned to the jail; there'd be a new prisoner to
process.
The Times
I stood before him with my hands on my hips. "Well, Bunyan, look at where
your preaching got you."
He sat on the rough bench regarding me with peaceful eyes. Fear usually
envelops my prisoners' faces.
"You understand the law, don't you?"
"Yes, of course. These are troubled times, and the new king fears that
hotheads could stir up revolution. But I'm not interested in politics.
My zeal, as you know, is for bringing lost people to Jesus Christ," insisted
John.
I jumped. "And how would I know?"
Again, the smile. "I saw you out there today."
"Yes, well, a man can be curious, can't he?" I grumbled and hurried away.
John Bunyan wasn't going to get his hooks in me.
Bunyan drew a lot of visitors to my jail, including his devoted young
wife, who was expecting a baby. She always came in with her head high
and proud, as if defying the stench and the darkness. She constantly went
to the authorities to plead Bunyan's case. One man shouted her out of
his chambers claiming, "John Bunyan does the devil's work!" Like her husband,
she never quit.
When she didn't come to see him for several days, I figured she was out
badgering the judges again. When she did come, it was clear that she had
lost their baby. Bunyan remained in prison, toiling away, making shoelaces
to earn money. I didn't hear him complain, but sometimes he looked very
sad.
Never Give Up
Three months after Bunyan came to jail, a big-shot came looking for him,
wrinkling his nose at the smell.
"If you promise to stop preaching, you may go free," I heard him tell
Bunyan.
"I cannot go against God," he said.
"Pitiful," I thought. "After all he and his family have been through,
he's still holding out. What's wrong with him?"
 Preach
and write, write and preach. That's what Bunyan did day in, day out. Many
a morning while I passed the bread along to the hungry inmates, I'd hear
him preaching to the others. "God will come to the aid of anyone who believes
in Him," he said.
"Don't you ever stop?" I growled at him.
He shook his head and smiled. "I'm already in here for preaching the
Gospel. What's to prevent me?"
Did John Bunyan continue to preach? Find out in
part 2 of this Glimpses for Kids worship bulletin.
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