Nicholas continued to leave bags of gold for Timoteus, and Timoteus continued to go boldly to the prison to feed the prisoners of Christus. The months passed like this until December. One day as Nicholas was visiting his aunt Berenice there came a knock at the door. Berenice answered, and in stepped his uncle Nicholas. He was pale and thin.
Berenice gasped, “They let you go!” She hugged him tightly. Then she cried out with alarm, “Don’t tell me you prayed to Caesar!”
His uncle said, “No.” He held up a red and swollen fist.
Berenice made another gasp. She rushed to get some olive oil and cloth. As she tended his burned hand, young Nicholas asked, “What happened?”
His uncle said, “The magistrate told me Caesar had extended forgiveness if I would but offer incense to him. When I refused, he ordered the lictors to make me do it. They forced incense into my hand and held it over the flame. They commanded me to release it, but I would not. They pushed my hand down over the fire, but I hung tight for our Lord Christus’ sake. Finally, one of the lictors struck the incense out of my hand. The magistrate said, ‘There, you have obeyed the edict. You are pardoned.’ I wish I could have held tighter.”
After this, Nicholas began to avoid the hall of magistrates. Though his uncle and the Christiani elders were given freedom, it came as a further attack on their faith. He was beginning to see the hall of magistrates as an enemy camp. When he could not avoid it, he would wait his turn outside, and after speaking his case, he would quietly slip away.
Berenice gasped, “They let you go!” She hugged him tightly. Then she cried out with alarm, “Don’t tell me you prayed to Caesar!”
His uncle said, “No.” He held up a red and swollen fist.
Berenice made another gasp. She rushed to get some olive oil and cloth. As she tended his burned hand, young Nicholas asked, “What happened?”
His uncle said, “The magistrate told me Caesar had extended forgiveness if I would but offer incense to him. When I refused, he ordered the lictors to make me do it. They forced incense into my hand and held it over the flame. They commanded me to release it, but I would not. They pushed my hand down over the fire, but I hung tight for our Lord Christus’ sake. Finally, one of the lictors struck the incense out of my hand. The magistrate said, ‘There, you have obeyed the edict. You are pardoned.’ I wish I could have held tighter.”
After this, Nicholas began to avoid the hall of magistrates. Though his uncle and the Christiani elders were given freedom, it came as a further attack on their faith. He was beginning to see the hall of magistrates as an enemy camp. When he could not avoid it, he would wait his turn outside, and after speaking his case, he would quietly slip away.
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