Have you ever wanted to be a “nobody”? I doubt it. Most of us want to be somebody special. We’d like people to think of us as a good student, a fine neighbor or a talented young person. But William Farel found out that God needed a “nobody.”
Farel had long had the old city of Geneva on his heart. There were two groups of people in Geneva: the religious people who loved their idols and feast days, and a group of people called the Huguenots who loved freedom and longed to have no more to do with the priests and rulers. These Huguenots loved freedom but did not yet have love for the Bible. Yes, Geneva, like Orbe and Neuchatel, needed to hear the gospel.
The Huguenots of Geneva welcomed William Farel, but he told them plainly, “I have not come to free you from the pope or the rulers, but from Satan and from yourselves. There is a freedom for the soul, the freedom with which Christ makes free, and He has sent me to tell you that.” They listened and a few of the Huguenots began to see that their Master should be the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
The religious men of the city, along with many of the citizens, were furious that William was preaching.
“It is you, then, who has done nothing but disturb the world and stir up rebellion everywhere. You are a busybody, who has come only to do mischief. We order you to depart from this city at once,” said the rulers of the city.
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William stayed for two days and tried to continue preaching, but the city was in an uproar. One man pointed a gun at Farel and pulled the trigger. There was a flash but the gun did not go off.
“I will not be shaken by a pop-gun,” Farel said coolly to the man.
Finally, Farel decided that he must leave. Many of the townsfolk wanted to throw him in the river, and there was no peace to preach the Word. He knew that in God’s own time, He would make a way for the people of Geneva to hear the gospel. So Farel’s trip to Geneva lasted only two days.
But that’s not the end of the story! Farel had by no means given up on Geneva. He simply traveled to find his young friend, Anthony Froment, who was teaching the Word of God at a small village. Anthony was only twenty-two, he was shy and he was a short man. Certainly he was not a giant to take on the grand city of Geneva. But there was one thing that Anthony had that William Farel needed. Anthony was a “nobody.” People all around Switzerland had heard of Farel’s voice of thunder and his fiery red hair. No one had heard of Anthony. Farel told Anthony of the deep need in Geneva and how there were a few who would listen if someone could be left in peace.
“Go and try if you can find an open door at Geneva,” Farel said.
Anthony stood speechless. “How should I dare,” he said finally, “to face the enemies who drove even you away, Master Farel?”
“Go and begin as I did,” said Farel. “I first taught school and took any opportunity to speak of Christ.”
Anthony still hesitated for some time. Much later he said to Farel, “I am young and weak. Geneva is the very stronghold of Satan.”
“Do not be afraid,” said Farel. “It is a great thing to be a nobody. Then you can be free of everybody. No one will pay attention to what you do. God will guide you.”
At last Anthony felt that God Himself, not just Farel, was asking him to go. He fell on his knees, asking for God’s power and guidance. God needed a “nobody” to begin His work in Geneva and Anthony was that nobody!