| Devotional Hours with the Bible |
Chapter 4 |
Page 5 |
“He entered with them into the temple.” He did not want to lose his friends and clung to them. Besides, he wished to make confession of his healing before men. The newly converted Christian should at once join Christ’s people and make his friendships and companions among them. This implies open confession of Christ, and that is a most important duty. Christ requires it, and it is needful to the completeness and the wholesomeness of Christian life. It implies also unison with the Church, and this is a duty of great importance.
The effect of this miracle on the people was very great. “The people saw him walking and praising God: … and they were filled with wonder.” The mere sight of the man walking about — this man who had never walked before, whom all the people had know for years as a beggar at the gates — was a sermon in itself. If he had sat still after he was healed, still holding out his hand and asking for alms, his healing might have been a little comfort to himself, but it would not have been worth a straw for testimony or influence. Those who have been healed by Christ ought to manifest it. To know of such a great Physician of souls and not tell men about it, is a crime against nature. Confessing Christ and speaking of Him will bring deeper joy to our own hearts. Besides, it makes known to others in similar need the Healer and Friend to whom they may go for blessing. We should rise up when Christ has blessed us in any way and let people know about it — at least let them see in our life what He has done for us.
“Why fasten ye your eyes on us, as though … we had made him to walk?” The people’s first thought was to regard the apostles as wonderful men, because of the miracle that had been wrought through them. But Peter hastened to turn all the glory of the miracle to Christ. It is a mark of true religion that we seek to give Christ the honour and glory of whatever good we do. We are apt to accept compliments and gratitude ourselves when we have been blessed and used in doing good to others, forgetting that to Christ belongs the honour and glory. We cannot but be pleased to have Christ do good through us, but we need to watch that all the praise and honour shall go to Him.
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