Crooked Arm's Bravest Deed [Tract]

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Crooked Arm, a powerful chief of the Cree tribe, was known far and wide for his daring exploits in war. In a battle with the Blackfoot Indians, his arm was badly wounded. When it healed, it remained stiff and crooked. So his people called him “Maskepe­toom,” which means “Crooked Arm.”

Chief Maske­pe­toom had only one son, whom he dearly loved. One day he sent his son and another brave to a valley where the tribe’s horses were kept. They were to take care of the horses, but the brave treacherously killed Crooked Arm’s son and sold the horses. Then he returned to camp and told the chief that his son had been killed when he fell from a high cliff and the horses had run away.

Somehow Chief Crooked Arm discovered the deception. Fierce anger filled his heart, and he vowed to kill the lying brave.

It was at this time that he had a visitor. In the evening the visitor sat with them around their fire, talking to them about Jesus. He told them of God’s great love for them and for all people. He explained that God had sent His Son to die for them. He told them how, when Jesus was dying on the cross, he prayed for the cruel men who had nailed Him there, saying, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

“God will forgive your sins if you trust in Jesus as your Saviour,” said the visitor. Then he added, “You must forgive others, as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.”

Chief Crooked Arm listened carefully. The words were beginning to pierce his heart.

One day the chief was riding out on the prairie with some of the men of his tribe. In the distance they could see others approaching. The eagle-like eyes of Crooked Arm spotted among them the brave who had killed his son. Grasping his tomahawk, he urged his horse into a gallop. Pulling up in front of the brave, he stared silently at the young man. His face was impassive, his lips a thin, hard line, his eyes black pools of bitterness. He sat straight and unmoving in the saddle.

The young man trembled before the chief’s gaze and dropped his eyes. Everyone waited tensely, expecting at any moment that the chief would lift his arm and deal the fatal blow.

Finally, the chief spoke: “You killed my only son. You deserve to die by the law of the tribe.”

The chief made a valiant effort to control his emotions and then spoke more quietly: “I have been told about the Great Spirit. If the Great Spirit forgives us, we must forgive others. We must even forgive our enemies.” The chief’s voice shook. “You are my worst enemy! But, as the Great Spirit has forgiven me, I now freely forgive you.”

So saying, he put his weapon back in his belt, wheeled about and rode off in a cloud of dust.

To forgive his enemy was the hardest thing he had ever done. It was his bravest deed.

So Chief Maskepetoom became a humble follower of the Lord Jesus. He did not wage war anymore. Instead, he learned to read the Bible in the Cree language and began to tell others about Jesus. He even went to evangelize his old enemies, the Blackfoot tribe. Formerly, he made raids on them with hate and murder in his heart. Later he visited them with love and compassion. Christ had transformed the Chief.

God’s holy Son, the Lord Jesus, did something greater — much greater — than what Crooked Arm did to his enemy. Not only did the Saviour forgive those who sought His life, but He actually died on the cross for them. “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:17-18).