Curated Sermon Illustrations on Good News

This story is probably apocryphal, but conveys a truth nonetheless.

During the early 19th century, following the Napoleonic Wars, a French soldier was captured and imprisoned. He was thrown into a dark, damp cell and quickly forgotten. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. He had no visitors. No letters. No word from the outside world. In that loneliness, he began to believe that no one remembered him—or even cared.

With nothing but time, the soldier scratched four simple words into the stone wall of his cell:

“Nobody cares for me.”

Years passed. Eventually, word of his imprisonment made its way to a local chaplain who came to visit him. The chaplain brought with him words of hope and prayers, but most importantly, he brought news: someone did care. His family had been searching. The government had changed. He would soon be released.

Before he left his cell, the chaplain noticed the words etched into the wall. Quietly, he took a piece of chalk and added three more words above them:

“Jesus cares.”

And suddenly, everything changed.