Gianni, 19 years old and full of confidence in himself and in his classical Italian education in philosophy, sat puffing on his cigar and playing poker in the dimly-lit hall where he and his cronies gathered.
Suddenly, the door opened and a short man in his forties entered the room and began to go from one to another passing out gospel tracts. His beaming face radiated a joy that arrested Gianni’s attention. When he came to Gianni he quoted to him the words of the Lord Jesus in John 6:4747Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:47): “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.”
Impatient to get back to his poker game, Gianni was glad to see the evangelist from New York leave. But the words Leonardo had quoted to him would not leave his mind. All day long he thought of the power and simplicity of that declaration by Jesus. Finally, he lay down in his bed for a night in which he would be able to forget the haunting words quoted by the evangelist.
But sleep did not come easily to Gianni. He lay there thinking of the strangely simple message that Leonardo had quoted. He tried to think of San Antonio, his patron saint, but the words, “He that believeth on Me,” came with fresh force into his soul. He drifted off into a troubled sleep, but soon awakened to hear again in his mind the words, “He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.”
He tried to think of the Blessed Virgin, but again the words of Jesus, “He that believeth on Me,” burned themselves into his mind and crowded out all thought of anyone but the blessed Son of God.
Finally about five in the morning, after an almost-sleepless night, Gianni got up, dressed and set out on foot to the town of Cassano Iorio to try to find the evangelist. He knew Leonardo was staying somewhere in Cassano, but he had no idea where. Still, he had to find him and learn more about the strange but simple message that had robbed him not only of sleep but also of all his confidence in his religion and his philosophical learning.
Leonardo’s earnest zeal in bringing the message of eternal life to the Calabrian countryside where he had grown up made him a visible, though not always welcome, figure to the people of Cassano and Lauropoli, so it was not long before Gianni was able to find the humble quarters where the evangelist was staying.
With a joyful heart, Leonardo opened up the Scriptures with the young philosopher. That glorious day, Gianni was introduced to the Saviour of sinners, the Lord Jesus Christ. He believed on Him, not on saints or on anyone else, and he could say with joyful confidence, “I have everlasting life.”
How about you, my friend? Do you have everlasting life? On whom are you depending for your soul’s eternal salvation? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)).
Gianni invited Leonardo to his home and it was not long before his wife too had trusted in Jesus.
Although Gianni lost his job because of his faith, and although for five years the family lived in rejection by the community, they rejoice to this day in the blessed reality of John 6:4747Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:47): “He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.”