Many have heard the story of the Moravian missionaries, John Leonard Dober and David Nitschman, who willingly submitted themselves to imprisonment to preach the gospel to African slaves that were held captive on the Caribbean islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix by a British slave owner who was an atheist.

Christians who are acquainted with the historical narrative are normally either enamored by the men’s bravery, inspired by their personal sacrifice, or moved by their departing benediction, “May the Lamb receive the reward for His sufferings”, but the part of the account that is often overlooked is their intensive prayerful meditation on the atonement of Jesus Christ that precipitated their going.

You see, it was not the need to reach the community of spiritually impoverished slaves that drove and sustained them, but the glorious sufferings of the dying Lamb. Their conclusion was if this infinitely worthy Savior laid down His life for sinners, then the souls of men were worth reaching.