Mathilda Wrede, Part 2

[00:00:04] Welcome to Women Worth Knowing, the radio program and podcast hosted by Cheryl Brodersen and Robin Jones Gunn. Hello, beautiful listeners. We're so glad you're back to hear more about Mathilda Wrede from Finland. That's right. Cheryl, dig in because we want to hear all of it.

[00:00:24] Well, first of all, we want to thank you for listening. And Mathilda's story is not really an exception to all the stories we do. It's just another woman, ordinary woman who did extraordinary things because of her God. And Mathilda is short. She's tiny in stature.

[00:00:42] She's not especially pretty as we learned in Part 1. And yet she's a baroness. Yes. And she uses that title and her father's importance as a governor to be able to go into the prisons and minister there.

[00:01:00] Now, this was not with her father's approval, but after he saw how much she loved it. Eventually, yes. Right. And her success. He was reluctantly won over. And what I love was the change point in her life when she came to Christ was through John 3, 16. Yes.

[00:01:18] That God loves the whole world. That's right. So here she is looking at the prisoners that are doing the yard work around where she lives. Her father's estate. Yes. And realizing they are the whosoever believes in him. They are. Started with one slave servant.

[00:01:36] What would they call them? Prisoner and convict. That was the terms. And I don't know what that would be in Finnish, but again, Mathilda is from Finland. So one day when she's 22, her father, remember, who is very, very wealthy and very important figure.

[00:01:54] He took her on a walk with her other sister, Helena. And as they were walking, they came to one of his holdings, which was a large farm. And he said, Mathilda, I am giving you this farm. Oh. So she named it Tavolo, which means something about tears.

[00:02:14] And she made it a place for the ex-convicts to come and be rehabilitated before they went into society. Kind of a way to ease their way back into society. And she said to them, you're going to have to maintain this farm. You're going to have to help me.

[00:02:36] And you're going to have to do it voluntarily and get used to working again. And to get a point of reference, what year are we at now? Is it the turn of the century yet? So. Oh yeah. Well she's 20. So she was it could be probably around. She's 22.

[00:02:50] So it would be eight. She was born in 1860, 1884. 84. That's so it would have been about 1906 maybe. So this is revolutionary. We know all about rehabilitation properties now. But that was. No, no. And for a woman to initiate. Exactly.

[00:03:10] However, I want to say this, that she found the work on the farm much harder than the work in prison. She found that these men that once they tasted freedom, they often neglected their faith in the Lord, that faith that they had found in prison.

[00:03:25] Also because they were seeking employment and there were a lot of businesses that refused to employ anyone who was an ex-convict. Some of them got desperate and they went back to their old ways of thieving. They went back to drinking.

[00:03:40] They went back to all their old vices and she found nothing so heart wrenching as when one of these men went back to those vices. I would imagine. Yeah. And then some of the time she was dealing with men who just didn't want to work.

[00:03:55] They wanted to live at the farm but not work. One story that was told is that they needed to roll the oats. What that means and what that looks like, I have no idea. But they had these oat fields and they needed to be rolled.

[00:04:12] And she told one of the convicts who had gotten out, I need you to go roll the oat fields. And he said, oh, typical, you're a baroness so you think you can order me around because I'm not important. I'm just an ex-convict.

[00:04:28] She was so bothered by that that she got up at five o'clock in the morning, harnessed the horse and began herself to roll the oat fields. Remember, she's very tiny. So the man when he saw it, he was so convicted.

[00:04:42] He went up, he apologized and she said, oh no, when I start, I finish. And she refused to let him come. She had to change a horse in the afternoon because the horse was tired from rolling these oat fields. And still she wouldn't stop.

[00:04:59] And she didn't finish till seven o'clock that evening. And she was sore and tired, but never again did any of the men who came to that farm accuse her of being a baroness or taking liberties with them, you know, taking advantage of them.

[00:05:17] So she eventually had her brother Henrik, when he came back from Siberia, take over the farm and run it for her. And she moved into an apartment, a very, very tiny apartment. In fact, she rented it from her friend Hedwig Hartmann.

[00:05:36] Now, Hedwig Hartmann was in charge of the Finnish branch of the Red Cross. Oh, this was her girlfriend. So Matilda rented a room from her, didn't even buy an apartment for herself, but rented this room from her so she could live an austere life because she felt like

[00:05:56] she needed to know a little more of the prisoner and the prisoner's wife's experience. And so she chose to live on small rations, the same rations as the prisoners did. They would get four pence a day. And so she decided to live on four pence a day.

[00:06:17] And she gave all of her beautiful dresses, her whole wardrobe away, except two dresses, two very plain gray dresses. So she would minister to both men and women in the jail. There weren't as many women, so mainly she concentrated on the men.

[00:06:35] And in the evenings, she was often counseling the prisoners' wives. They would come to her for help. And she took her money, what she had, and she would give it to them for food. So it wasn't that she ignored her inheritance. She actually used it to help others.

[00:06:58] For 40 years, Matilda ministered to both men and women, and she had that government pass that we talked about first in part one, to go all over Finland. Now, one day she was given the opportunity to actually meet in prison. Here it comes, the King of Harem.

[00:07:20] Now, remember the King of Harem? The big bully. Right. She was terrorized by the stories of him. Actually, he was a very, very large man, some say six foot four or so and burly. And so he was very intimidating. And she heard that he was in the prison.

[00:07:37] So she went to see him and to speak to him about Jesus. And he did his best to intimidate her, to scare her, told her all the ghastly things he had done, just like watching her expression. And she's like, well, Jesus still loves you and I'm not afraid.

[00:07:54] So finally he respected her and he just said, you know, I can't believe it. I've thrown everything at you and here you are. You're not afraid. So he didn't serve that long.

[00:08:08] And when he got out, he went back to his farm and she decided to visit him one day. And so she visited him and it was full of all these ex-convicts. And they knew her and she knew them from visiting in the prison. And they all respected her.

[00:08:22] But they were back to their let's call it thuggery. Thuggery. And did she have her bodyguards? No, no, no. That was right. She'd given those up. From 20 on. Yep. No more bodyguards. So here she is at this this farm. It's a dangerous place. Yes.

[00:08:38] And so he shows her a room and she said it was a really sweet, comfortable room. And, you know, in the night she woke up because she heard this thud outside her door, but she knew better than to open her door at night. So she, you know, just...

[00:08:53] So she's staying there. Right. In this comfortable room. So she went back to sleep. And the next morning she opened the door and there was the King of Hiram. Isatlan laying across the threshold of her door. He had slept there all night to protect her. There's her bodyguard.

[00:09:11] He slept there. Most unexpected thug. That's right. Later in life, just a few years later, Isalitan gave his life to Jesus. Really? And he said it was because of Mathilda's witness. So one day she's about to speak to a group of prisoners.

[00:09:30] She's about to speak to a group of prisoners who are about to be deported to Siberia when she fell and she broke her ankle in the snow. And so she said, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, I command you rise up and walk.

[00:09:48] And she got up and she walked to where the men who were being deported were and prayed for them and talked to them. Well, a little bit later, an ex-convict who was a cobbler by trade said, I really want to make you a pair of shoes.

[00:10:09] I see how you go and you take care of these men and I'm so grateful. So she sat down for him and he removed the shoe and said, what? Your foot is terribly broken. And realized what she had done.

[00:10:26] All of these things just continue to give her more and more respect of the prisoners. In 1900, so she would be about 28 years old, she traveled to Petrograd, Russia, to attend the International Penal Conference, which was held, she said, by the greatest jailer of all, the Tsar.

[00:10:52] So she didn't have respect for the Tsar because of the deportation of all these good Finnish men. But they had conferences. They had conferences. Before her, there was a distinguished French intellectual who spoke and said

[00:11:09] that the nature of criminals was such that there was no convict who could be rehabilitated or changed. And they should be thrown in prison and they should throw away the key. Well, she was the next speaker.

[00:11:25] So in perfect French, this small little woman took to the stage and stood up and she said, you're right. Reforms don't work. Better sanitized conditions do not reform a man. But the power of God does. Laws don't.

[00:11:55] There is nothing that can transform an incorrigible but the presence and person of Jesus Christ. And everyone was so moved by her message that they began to clap. She was the most received and popular speaker at that conference. Probably unexpected. That's right.

[00:12:18] But so much so that she was invited that evening to dine with the Tsar. Really? An invitation that she quickly declined, saying, how can I dine with the Tsar when he is responsible for all these deportations, for all these innocent men being deported or going to prison?

[00:12:41] Now, as you know, in 1914, World War One started. But even as World War One was going on, a civil war was also beginning to break out in Finland for Finland's independence. They wanted independence from Russia and they wanted independence from Sweden. And so those nationals, they wanted independence.

[00:13:14] So from 1914 to 1917, because a lot of the convicts were let out to fight in World War One, she concentrated all her energy into helping the soldiers and the soldiers' wives. And that's where she concentrated her money and her energies into feeding, into

[00:13:36] helping, into clothing and helping them with their children. Well, as you know, in 1917, the Tsar was overthrown by Bolsheviks. Right. So then the civil war in Finland got worse. So World War Two is just about to culminate. But now this huge war in 1918 is going on in Finland.

[00:14:04] And the whole country is divided between the Reds and the Whites. The Reds are the Bolsheviks. Most of them are Russian, but some are Finnish. Right? Because there's a lot of Finns who are of Russian descent.

[00:14:17] And that whole hatred for the aristocracy and then that upper echelon that she belongs to. The Whites. The Whites were anyone who was Finnish. People like the Baron and the Baroness were especially on the radar of the Reds. The Bolsheviks were so violent.

[00:14:38] In fact, some of their escapades were well known and talked about. They would go up, they would free all the convicts, and then they would hire them to work for them. And they especially wanted the incorrigibles.

[00:14:52] And they would often go to farms and they would tie the farmer, his wife, his children to a chair if they wouldn't become Reds. Tie them to a chair and then they would put a loaf of bread, and these were starving families, in the middle of the table.

[00:15:11] And then they would nail the tongues of the farmer, his wife, and his children to the table. So they looked at the bread but could not have it. So Matilda is in her apartment one day when some Bolsheviks break in. Can you imagine? No.

[00:15:27] And so they said, we want your money. Do you have any money? She said, oh yes, I have lots of money. But my money is not for me and my money is not for you. My money is for the prisoners and for the Lord Jesus.

[00:15:42] And so they said, well give us something to eat. And she said, oh you may share my breakfast but I don't think there will be enough. So she shows them her breakfast, which is a piece of cabbage and a small piece of toast.

[00:15:55] Because remember, she had decided from 20 on to live on prisoners' rations. And one of the Bolshevik soldiers turns to the other and says, I think we have stumbled upon the house of Matilda Reed. And I believe that we are looking at Matilda Reed. Her meditation proceeded. That's right.

[00:16:18] And she had fed both red soldiers and white soldiers regardless. Yes. Of you know. Whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Because of that, she had great respect. And she said this. Really, even with the Bolsheviks standing right there. Yes.

[00:16:36] And she said, yes I am indeed Matilda Reed. As you see, the breakfast will not suffice for all. But if you will come to supper, there will be enough and we will confer on how such capable and industrious men as yourselves may earn your own meals. Oh.

[00:16:54] Because she said that was also a Bolshevik principle. We need to work for ourselves. Yes. Everyone needs to work. Down with the aristocracy. Oh look at this aristocrat who's eating cabbage and toast. And taking care of prisoners and willing to make food for all of us.

[00:17:14] One Christmas Eve, Matilda went from cell to cell with her Christmas letter and wishing each of the men a very blessed Christmas when suddenly these shrieks pierced the air and a convict came running down the corridor brandishing a

[00:17:29] shoemaker's knife and vowing to kill the guards, the warden or himself. So at this point, the wardens have put her in this room and they're all hiding, just listening to it. And they devise this scheme where they'll take a mattress, they'll pin this man to the wall.

[00:17:47] They'll take the shoemaker's knife away from him and then they'll shackle him. Well Matilda begged them, don't do it. Please give me the opportunity to talk to this man. So she goes out alone with the wardens all hot, you know, huddling together.

[00:18:06] You know, all the armed guards waiting to see how she does because he's brandishing this knife. And she says to him, give me the knife. He says, no. She begins to calmly talk to him about the Lord Jesus Christ. And she says, give me the knife.

[00:18:19] He said, you'll have to take it from me. So she made this game out of it and she pried the knife loose, dropped it to the ground and escorted him back to his cell. Well, she was concerned about what the soldiers might do.

[00:18:32] So she decided to skip Christmas and to stay in that prison with those soldiers for the next seven days. And it was very kind, but she had to sleep on the floor just like they did.

[00:18:44] And she contracted a lung disease that stayed with her for the rest of her life. She was fragile anyway. So sometime in her 40s, that's when this all happened. And so she would have to rouse herself some days because of how tired she felt,

[00:19:00] you know, not getting enough oxygen and say, today I have again the privilege of being occupied with my father's business. So she worked hard in her 40s for improving prison conditions. She talked to the doctor at the prison saying these are terrible. Do something. But he did nothing.

[00:19:20] But he did nothing. She talked to the warden. You need to do something about this. But he did nothing. By this time, her father's retired. So she talked to the present governor. You need to do something about the prison conditions. And he did nothing.

[00:19:35] And then she talked to a journalist. And when she told the journalist, the journalist wrote a report on this. But it did not go well for Matilda. After that, Matilda was not allowed in any of the prisons. Oh.

[00:19:48] And that was that went on for for a few years. She was not allowed. Now, has it exposed the conditions? The conditions. Right. And some of even the convicts felt like betrayed, like she had used their stories and not asked.

[00:20:04] So she was persona non grata when it came to the prisons, which was breaking her heart because she had been there. Well, now she's in her 50s and she has served so long and so hard. And she was thinking, well, maybe it's time to retire.

[00:20:18] When a deputation of prisoners came to see her, the men entered her small apartment. They were all political prisoners who had just been released. And they said, we have a petition that signed by over 700 of our friends still in prison.

[00:20:33] And they implore you to come back and resume your work in the prisons. She answered, but I am old now and I have so many illnesses. I have no strength left. You are indeed terribly ill, but perhaps the work that you will love will make you young again.

[00:20:55] She remembered the dream that she had had as a young girl and she again heard the words that convict had spoken to her in her dream. Thousands of poor bound souls sigh for life and peace. Speak to them the words of Jesus while you yet have time.

[00:21:14] While she was deliberating, an urgent letter came to her from the new chief of prisons at Helsingfors. He begged her to come take up the work again. God is calling me to this work. He will give me strength.

[00:21:29] When she returned to Kokola prison, over 300 prisoners were waiting for her and welcomed her by bursting into song. I thank you, dear friends, with all my heart. No one I think ever came to Kokola Hill, the way of sorrows, with such thankfulness as I came today.

[00:21:48] As long as my strength endures, I will work for you and yours. For the rest of her life until she was 64, she continued to work at Kokola. One man presented her with a wooden spoon with a carving of a dandelion.

[00:22:02] And he said that the only thing he could see from his prison window was a dandelion. And it was then that he decided to carve a dandelion into this wooden spoon, because even as the dandelion began with just two green leaves, then a bud,

[00:22:17] then a flower and then a ball of fluff which could fly about and so dandelions all over the whole yard. It reminded him of how Matilda had sown her life into so many. Another inmate asked to borrow the brooch that Matilda had worn since her conversion.

[00:22:32] It was a little gold brooch, a little silver brooch, sorry, silver. And it said Grace and Peace on it. And she wore it every day. This prisoner borrowed it. She wasn't even sure if she'd get it back.

[00:22:42] But he returned it a few days later and he gave her a new brooch to add to it. This one looked exactly like that one, only it looked like it was carved out of ivory. And it said Grace and Peace.

[00:22:54] The truth was, it was a bone that the prisoner had found in his chicken and he'd taken it, polished it, worked on it. No. Until it was shiny. And then he had borrowed her little brooch that he saw her wearing and carved this

[00:23:11] one to look just like it. She kept it as a treasure, just like she did the wooden spoon for the rest of her life. She died on Christmas Day in 1928 at the young age of 64.

[00:23:26] And I say young age because that's how old I'm going to be this year. At the young age of 64. Yes. She said this, I believe that the secret of success in our work is to love those

[00:23:40] whom we seek to save without waiting until we find something lovable in them. Oh, that's good. Isn't that so convicting? Yes. And then she said this, what would have become of us if Christ had not loved us and come to our help first? True, true, true. Amen. Wow.

[00:24:03] And then she said this about her own life. A life placed in the hands of God will be used by him. It's true. Isn't it true? Beautiful. Yes. And I also love how she said that today I am privileged to be about the work of my father.

[00:24:21] Isn't that amazing? If we woke up with that thought every day, what a different way we would approach all the things on the to-do list. This is God's provision for us to do his work.

[00:24:31] And you know, I have to say too that sometimes I can be like, oh, I need to do this or I have to do this. And lately the Lord's been putting it on my heart. Today you have the opportunity to do this for me. Yes.

[00:24:45] Today you have the opportunity to do the dishes for me. Today you have the opportunity to serve me. Today you have the opportunity to love your neighbor. Today you have the opportunity to do something nice for somebody.

[00:24:58] And all the lives changed by Mephilda show us that that's the way of the Father. That's right. There. Think of all the prisoners that were affected for the Lord Jesus because of Mephilda Reed. Thank you for listening to Women Worth Knowing with Cheryl Brodersen and Robin Jones-Gunn.

[00:25:15] For more information on Cheryl, visit CherylBrodersen.com or follow her on Instagram or Facebook. For more information on Robin, visit RobinGunn.com or follow her on Instagram or Facebook. Join us each week for a lively conversation as we explore the lives of

[00:25:30] well-known and not so well-known historical and contemporary Christian women. If you think there is a woman worth knowing, we'd love to hear from you. Email us at WWK at CCCM.com. We hope you've enjoyed today's episode.

[00:25:46] Make sure you rate us on your podcast app, subscribe and share it with a friend. Thank you again for listening to Women Worth Knowing with Cheryl Brodersen and Robin Jones-Gunn. Women Worth Knowing is a production of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa.