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The Reformation created many mighty saints inside the Christian faith: John Calvin, Martin Luther, and Ulrich Zwingli, just to name a few. Sadly, the important work of the Reformation also cost many saints their lives.
Michael Sattler was one of those men.
Sattler was born in Germany near the end of the 15th Century and pursued an education at the University of Freiburg. He joined the monastery of St. Peter and was so pious he eventually rose to the position of Prior. His study of the Scriptures – in conjunction with the Reformation – caused him to leave the monastery and marry in 1523.
In early 1527, Sattler presided over a conference of the Swiss Brethren at Schleitheim (in Switzerland), which produced the creed still known today as the Schleitheim Confession. Unfortunately, the young Anabaptist and his wife were captured by Roman Catholic authorities in May of that same year, and tried on the charges of heresy…for claiming that infant baptism couldn’t save.
On the morning of May 21, 1527, Sattler was led out to the executioner. In spite of the horrendous torture that he was about to endure, he prayed for the judge and his persecutors, and then encouraged those standing by to repent of their sins. In answer to his prayers, Sattler’s torturers cut out his tongue. They then took hot iron tongs, and seven different times, gouged out pieces of his flesh.
Sattler’s bleeding body was then taken to the town square where it was further ripped and flayed by the heated iron devices. As they tied him to the ladder to be burned, Sattler uttered another prayer for his persecutors. Soon, his entire body was engulfed in flames.
But Sattler had one more act of faith to perform. He had promised to give his followers a signal from the very platform of torture that day. As the fire burned through the ropes binding his hands, he lifted one of them and gave them the promised sign. They now knew that a martyr’s death was a bearable one.
Finally, from his seared lips, the crowd standing by heard him say, “Father, I commend my spirit into Thy hands.” Then he joined the Savior in death that he had served in life.
Resource’s Origin:
Mennonites In Europe by John Horsch. Rod and Staff Publishers, 1995, Pages 70-78.
Topics Illustrated Include:
Baptism
Christlike
Death
Faithful
Forgiveness
Heresy
Judge
Martyr
Pain
Persecution
Prayer
Reformation
Repent
Suffering
Torture
Violence
(Resource cataloged by David R Smith)
