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SANCTUS AND MATURUS
LORD’S DAY, DECEMBER 20
Acts 16:19-31

Philippians 1:11-21

 

“…Christ shall be magnified
in my body, whether

it be by life, or by death.”

 

SANCTUS AND MATURUS
 
Around the same time that Attalus was martyred in Lyon, two other faithful servants of Christ (deacon Sanctus and Maturus) sealed their testimonies with their blood. Both endured dreadful torments from morning until night, yet neither would deny the name of Jesus.
 
Sanctus, who ministered to the poor, was pressed with red-hot copper plates against his body. Interrogated about his name, parentage and country, he refused to answer with anything but:
 
“I am a Christian; that is my name, my parentage, and my country; indeed, I am altogether nothing else than a Christian.”
 
This enraged his persecutors, who continued to torture him until his body was one massive wound. Yet he remained fearless, strengthened inwardly by the consolations of Christ.
 
Maturus suffered in much the same way, stedfast and immovable. After being tortured, both men were cast into prison, only to be brought out again for further torment. Eusebius recorded that they were scourged repeatedly, beaten with rods, pierced with hooks, and torn with iron combs. Still, their faith did not waver.
 
Finally, before thousands gathered in the amphitheatre, Sanctus and Maturus were placed on burning iron chairs, their flesh consumed by fire. Yet, when their enemies saw that their spirits remained immovable, they executed them by beheading them. Their testimony echoes the words of Paul: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21).
 
Their lives remind us that true love for Christ surpasses even the instinct for self-preservation. They chose eternal glory over temporary comfort, proving that the power of Christ is greater than the fiercest flames or the sharpest blades.
 
THOUGHT: Do I love Christ more than I love myself, willing to surrender all for Him?
PRAYER: Father, may my love for Christ exceed my desire to cling to this earthly life. Strengthen me to live and, if called, to die for Jesus, that my testimony may glorify Thy name.

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