They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead. – Psalm 79:3

Today's Scripture Reading (July 31, 2023): Psalm 79

Jan Hus (1369 -1415) was an early church reformer. Some hold Hus as the first reformer, while others point to John Wycliffe (1328–1384). Regardless of which should be considered first, the early reformers built upon the work of both of these men. Hus, Wycliffe, and a few others laid the foundation for the Protestant Church we know today.

On July 6, 1415, Hus's life came to an end. He had been tried and found guilty of heresy and was sentenced to be executed. Specifically, Hus spoke out against the church practice of selling offices and roles in the church to those who were willing to pay. No office or position was not for sale, including the papacy; money had become more important than piety. So, Hus was sentenced to be burned at the stake. Witnesses on that summer day watched as Jan Hus was chained at the neck to a stake. Then his hands were tied behind him, and straw was piled up around Hus to his neck. Finally, Hus was offered a chance to save his life by recanting his beliefs. Hus refused, simply saying, "I am ready to die today."

According to some witnesses, the reformer's executioners struggled to get the fire going, only prolonging Hus's agony. After the reformer had been completely burned, his ashes were thrown into the Rhine River, denying his followers a chance to bury and possibly venerate his remains.

Many cultures have believed that not burying the remains of someone who has died was the ultimate humiliation. Today, the scattering of ashes is often done voluntarily, especially in a place where the deceased felt connected. But that appears to be a recent development. Leaving a body unburied, even if it was just the ashes, was to treat the human body as if it were no more special than that of an animal that has died and is left where it once stood.

For the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the people died, and no one was able to bury the bodies. Many were dead, others were taken prisoners, and the Babylonian destroyers didn't care enough to give honor to the Jewish dead. And so, the bodies just lay there unburied and with no one to give them honor. It was the ultimate desecration of Jerusalem and the Temple and a horrible memory for those lucky enough to live through the experience.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 137