Although this miracle was followed by consequences so serious as to
make it a landmark in the history of those early days of the Church,
it was not itself the result of deliberation or contrivance. Peter
and John were, as usual, on their way to evening prayer in the
Temple. These two men had much to gain from one another, and they
kept much together. In study, in business, in Christian work, in life
generally everyone is the better of the friend who supplements his
own character. Happy he whose closest friend of all provokes only to
love and good works, and calls out only what is best in him. It is,
if not essential to the growth and health of the spiritual life, most
desirable to have a friend with whom intercourse is absolutely free
and frank; one to whom it is the natural thing to explain the actual
state of the spirit, and utter our most sceptical or our most devout
thoughts, and who can be trusted to respond charitably,
confidentially, and wisely to all communications. The Church owes
much to the friendship of Peter and John, as well as to each
individually.
On how small a contingency did this miracle hinge. Had Peter happened
to have had a penny he would have dropped it in the beggar's palm and
passed on, leaving him content with the alms and unconscious of all
he had missed. And it is sometimes well for us, as for Peter, that we
are baulked in our first intentions towards our friends and our first
attempts at being of use. It is well, for example, that we cannot at
once rescue every one out of sickness and poverty, for thereby our
love is compelled to a deeper consideration and to a thousand
kindnesses which find their way to the heart and leave for ever a
treasure of happy memory. Our inability to gratify the obvious and
clamant want of our friend keeps our thought hovering around him
until, at last, we discern how we can confer a better and more
enduring, because a more difficult and thoughtful, gift.
Probably Peter had often passed this lame man before. To-day the two
Apostles have not together as much as the poor widow with her two
mites, and they are passing and thinking as little as we sometimes
think of leaving the needy to the charity of others, when suddenly it
occurs to Peter that, after all, he has what may be of more service
to the beggar than silver or gold. "What I have, that give I thee."
The best help we can give is not that which we can give with the
hand, and which is current coin, which anyone else may give, and
which is of the same value, whoever gives it; but rather that which
we communicate from our own heart and soul, and which is our own
peculiar treasure--the accumulation of a life's experience. To add a
little to anyone's outward comfort is always worth doing; but to
impart to another what becomes life and strength and encouragement
perennially within himself is surely better. Frequently the help we
chiefly need is nothing outward and material, but that which one bare
human spirit can render to another. But alas! when thrown back upon
our inward resources, we are so conscious of our poverty that we
think sixpence or a shilling is probably of greater value than
anything which can come straight from our spirit.
Of the lame man little is told us which may give us a clue to his
state of mind. He was one of those who had been left unhealed by
Christ. Often must Christ have passed him, and yet He had never
spoken nor laid healing hand upon him. Perhaps during the long hours
the lame man sometimes thought of this, and bewailed his own
negligence in not using opportunities now for ever gone. He could
only look with envy and self-reproach on those who had once been
blind, or, like himself, lame, and whom he now saw in perfect health.
His feelings were akin to the remorse of those who imagine that their
day of grace is gone, and exclaim :
Thy saints are comforted, I know,
And love Thy house of prayer;
I therefore go where others go,
But find no comfort there.
There is no despair worth calling despair but despair of salvation.
But what Christ has not done, an Apostle may do. The lesser
instrument may effect what the more powerful has not effected. A
feebler ministry may in some cases produce results which the abler
ministry has not produced.
Another feature of the beggar's state of mind appears in listless,
mechanical way in which he asks an alms. He had not even troubled to
look up. Too commonly human prayer is the monotonous whine of the
beggar that scarcely troubles to consider to whom the petition is
addressed. Had this man taken the trouble to scan the appearance of
those fishermen he would have seen that silver or gold could not be
expected. But he had fallen into one chant, uttered as soon as the
shadow of the passer-by fell upon him. It is a picture of the unreal
and indifferent spirit in which much prayer is offered. There is no
harm in asking for certain benefits every day of our life, and no
harm in using the same words, if we have chosen these words as the
fittest. But there is harm in allowing a form of words to engender
monotony and lifelessness in the spirit, so that we never consider
carefully the object of our worship and what it is fit that He should
give. This cripple had come to be content with the few coppers which
would furnish his supper and bed; all the great world with its
pleasures, its enterprise, its high places lay quite beyond his hope;
and thus does one find his own soul dying to all that lies beyond
daily needs, and forgetful of the great and glorious things that are
written of the heirs of God. It is surely a great art to know "who it
is that speaks to us, and what is the gift of God."
Peter's first care was to arouse the man. "Look on us!" The man's
attention was commanded. All his life he had been training to know
faces, to know who would give and who would not give, who would not
give if others were looking, and who would give at the gate of the
Temple, dropping the coin as into an alms box, without any regard to
the want of the beggar. One glance at the frank face of Peter tells
him he is about to receive something. That is a man to be trusted.
This is a good beginning. Trust in Peter maybe the first step to
trust in Christ. But many rest at the earliest stage, believing the
messenger, but not coming into personal relations with Christ. Many
persons wish to be better than they are, and are prepared to do much
and sacrifice much in order to attain to a satisfactory spiritual
state. What is lacking is personal appeal to Christ. They must
recognise, with a conviction wrought in their own mind, that Jesus
Christ is the source of spiritual power, and they must for
themselves, appeal directly to Him.
The boldness with which Peter forms or, it might almost be said,
forces this personal relation to Christ in the case of this man is
surprising. Without a moment's hesitation or inquiry as to whether
the man's faith is quickened, Peter cries, "In the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk," taking him by the right hand
and lifting him up. Peter could not confer health upon the man in
spite of his state of mind. If the man had so chosen he might have
continued to lie where he was, a cripple. But simultaneously with
Peter's faith and authoritative command, the man's own faith was
quickened. He believed that in this name, that is, at the command and
in the strength of Christ, he could get up; and he arose. It was the
contagious confidence of Peter which begat faith in the lame beggar's
spirit. And there could not be a more instructive instance of the
suddenness with which a human being can be brought into saving
relation to Christ. When Peter began his sentence the lame man had no
faith, yet he boldly said to him, "In the name of Jesus Christ arise
and walk." Men may always thus be summoned to believe on the spot and
to act out the commands of Christ.
But in order that such a summons be effectual, two qualities in the
apostle are needful. He must not fear failure or rebuff. He must have
that humility which seeks the good of others regardless of its own
reputation. So long as we fear to expose our own feelings, and to
show that we are deeply concerned about the welfare of another
person, we shall do little in the way of inspiring faith. Our mouth
is kept shut by the fear of fruitlessly exposing our feelings. We are
not sure how our advances will be received. We have not, the loving
humility which braves risks to self.
We must also ourselves have lively faith if we are to communicate
faith to others. It was Peter's own faith which carried this man's
unbelief by storm. In presence of Peter's confidence he could not but
believe. Most men are far more moved by the contagion of others
strong feeling and example than by arguments or verbal appeals. For
the diffusion of faith it is a man like Peter that is wanted, who
overleaps the obstacles which other men would stop to examine; a man
like Luther, erring perhaps in fine points of doctrine, but giving
impetus and force to the whole movement in Christ's kingdom, and
sweeping along with him a host of weaker and dependent spirits. If we
are not propagating faith in Christ, it is mainly because our our
faith is meagre and timorous. If we are not producing Christians it
is because we are not ourselves in the present experience of His
mighty power. And while this is so, our conduct betrays the weakness
of our faith, and we chill the kindling warmth in other souls instead
of fanning it into flame, and all that proceeds from us is as the
frosty wind of an untoward spring-time, that unseasonably marks every
springing thing with death.
Possessed of those qualities, any one may communicate that best of
all gifts, faith in Christ. The joy of Peter, in discovering that he
could impart health and brightness to those who were oppressed by
various human ills, is a joy which may be repeated, and was meant to
be repeated, in the experience of every Christian. We are not to look
hopelessly on the world at large or on our own friends.
We are not to think that the pleasure we have in being of substantial
service to a friend, we cannot have in the case of that which is most
substantial. We are to believe that Christ now has all power in
heaven and on earth, and that those who have experienced this power
are expected to be the channel of its communication to others. The
faith which strengthens and elevates our own spirit may be
communicated, upon our effort and prayer, to the heart of others.