HARD TIMES had come for Mrs. Linner. After her husband had died, she got into financial difficulties. She had to sell some of her good furniture and jewelry to a Jewish antique dealer. One day she even sold him her beautifully bound heirloom Bible which her parents had given her as a wedding gift. In days past she had rejoiced at the word of God and received encouragement and strength from it, but now she did not read the Bible anyway.
When she was alone her thoughts made her restless. Maybe it was too bad she had sold the precious Book so easily. She had put the children to bed and already they were sleeping. Then as she became more disturbed, she left the house and went to Levi, the antique dealer, to recover the Bible.
But what did she see as she looked in through the window of the shop? Four men were standing around the table, and Levi was reading from a book which she at once recognized as her Bible. It seemed that the four men wanted to scoff wholeheartedly at the fables in the old Book, but they grew quiet as Levi happened to read some verses telling of the sufferings of Christ. When he read about the Lord’s struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane, he seemed to choke, and so deeply stirred was he that the tears began to flow down his cheeks. Silently, without saying good-by his friends walked out.
And Mrs. Linner? It was too much for her that these men scoffed at her Bible. She also broke into tears, for her heart was now accusing her. When she heard again how her Saviour suffered for her, she went home weeping, bowed her knees before her Saviour and confessed with shame that she had forgotten Him.
However, by morning, comfort and security had filled her soul again. She knew that by His death and blood all her guilt had been removed and that she could again walk by her Saviour’s side in the sunshine of His love. Immediately she went to Levi to recover the holy Book. But what was her surprise to find Levi at the same spot in front of the opened Bible. He could not separate himself from this divine Book. He continued reading of the suffering Lamb of God and of how the Lord Jesus prayed on the cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Then he read the well-known chapter, Isaiah 53: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.”
Levi became very sad at the thought of that innocent One being put to death; the night before he had scoffed at Him! Then he cried out: “O Jesus of Nazareth, then truly Thou art our Messiah, the Christ promised by God?”
Thus it was Mrs. Linner found him. Confounded, she stopped at the open door and Levi said to her: “Dear lady, I have found a treasure in your Book, a treasure which is worth more than all the world.”
Then she told him that last night she too was brought from darkness into light.
Mrs. Linner received her Bible back again and Levi bought himself a new one. Not long after his wife also found peace through the Blood of Christ. Now both rejoiced in Him and were happily baptized.
ML-12/26/1971