The Communist guards pushed Joe Korbel roughly along the cold stone hallway of the Znojmo Prison in Czechoslovakia. Why was he there? He was a gospel preacher. They considered him a threat to Communism because he strongly influenced others, especially young people and children, to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
The guards cautiously opened the door to a small cell. They grabbed Joe and quickly pushed him in, slamming the door behind him. There was only one bed in the cell and someone was already lying on it, covered completely with a blanket. Joe wondered what his new cell mate was like.
As Joe gazed curiously at the bed, a hand crept slowly out from under the blanket. Joe was spellbound. The hand was very hairy and had long black nails. Then the other hand came out, just as weird-looking. Slowly the hands pulled the blanket back an inch at a time to reveal a wild, unshaven face. It was the face of an insane man. He grinned and then growled like a furious beast.
Joe instinctively backed into a far corner looking for a way of escape, but there was none. Would the wild man attack? Joe knelt right then and there and prayed, “Lord, here I am, putting my life in Thy hands.” And the Lord did protect his servant, for just then the lights went out and the insane man stayed where he was.
The next morning the man appeared to be gone. A very much relieved Joe got up from his sleeping place on the floor. He walked over to tidy up the bed. There was a wild scream and the terrible hand reached out from under the bed and grabbed his ankle. Joe leaped back in fright, jerking himself free from the madman.
The insane man spent his days under the bed. As days went by there was no violence, and Joe’s fear changed to compassion. He longed and prayed for some way to help this poor man. When his cell mate was asleep, he would go over and wash his sores, and it did seem to soothe him.
One day a small package arrived from Joe’s wife. The only thing that remained untouched was a sandwich. Guess what kind of sandwich it was? It was a Bible sandwich! There, hidden between two pieces of bread was a New Testament. Joe devoured that sandwich with great pleasure. Day after day he read his Testament, even though Bibles were forbidden in Communist prisons. The guards discovered that Joe had the New Testament, yet somehow the Lord kept them from taking it from him.
One day as Joe was reading his Testament, his insane cell mate came out from his place under the bed. Joe pretended to pay no attention as the man sat down cross-legged by the window.
“What are you reading?”
Joe jumped up, fearful, and looked around to see where the voice came from. He had never heard his cell mate speak a word before, only growl. Suddenly he realized who had spoken.
“This is my Bible, the Word of God,” he answered; “and God is telling us about His love and how He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save and heal our souls.”
“Give it to me!” the man demanded. Fearfully and reluctantly Joe handed over the New Testament, wondering if it would be torn to pieces. The man began to read the Book as Joe looked on in fascination.
Now Joe began to praise God silently as his hope for the poor man grew. He prayed fervently for him. All that day the insane man read the Scriptures. All the next day he read on. On the third day he began to read again, early in the morning. Then Joe heard some strange sounds—the man was crying—great, painful uncontrollable sobs. Joe’s compassion overcame his fear. He knelt beside the poor man and put his arm around him.
“Don’t cry; God loves you and is able to help you!” he told him.
“No, no, I am lost. Nobody can help me! I am lost! They are going to hang me!
Joe tried to comfort him. Slowly in broken sentences the man told his story of political intrigue, of imprisonment, and of torture. He had nothing to look forward to but the death sentence.
Joe told the man the wonderful story of Calvary. Then he prayed fervently for him.
“You have read your Bible, and maybe you remember that Jesus said, ‘Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.’ If you will only believe in Jesus, He will forgive you. He will give you peace. So cast all your problems and worries and burdens on Him. He will help you and protect you; He will be with you in life and death. Will you now ask the Lord Jesus to forgive your sins?”
Weeping the man said, “Do you believe that He will hear me, and even can save my life for my family’s sake?” And he waited breathlessly for an answer.
“Yes, if you will ask Him. He can do it,” Joe replied.
Amid many tears and heartbreaking sobs, the man opened his heart to the Lord. How he prayed! When he was finished he was a different man—a new man in Christ! The guards noticed the difference. Often they came and stared at him through the peephole in the door. They had thought that the madman would kill Joe, the gospel preacher. Instead Joe’s God had healed the man of his insanity.
We do not know this man’s name for it isn’t revealed for his own safety. We do know, however, that the Lord did deliver him miraculously from the death sentence. After spending a number of years in prison he was set free and able to return to his beloved family.
How great is our God! How great is His love!
In Mine Enemies’ Camp
ML-06/17/1979