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3.4.4
Children of God
Peter and John Heal a Lame Man
(Acts 3:1-10)
The time of prayer was about three o’clock in the afternoon, and Peter and John were going into the temple. A man who had been born lame was being carried to the temple door. Each day he was placed beside this door, known as the Beautiful Gate. He sat there and begged from the people who were going in.
The man saw Peter and John entering the temple and he asked them for money. But they looked straight at him and said, “Look up at us!”
The man stared at them and thought he was going to receive something. But Peter said, “I haven’t any silver or gold! But I will give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, get up and start walking.” Peter then took him by the right hand and helped him up.
At once the man’s feet and ankles became strong. And he jumped up and started walking. He went with Peter and John into the temple, walking and jumping and praising God. Everyone saw him walking around and praising God. They knew that he was the beggar who had been lying beside the Beautiful Gate, and they were completely surprised. They couldn’t imagine what had happened to the man.
The Bravery of an Ordinary Person
It was 8.15 a.m. on Wednesday morning. The wharf was crowded. As the ferry approached, everyone surged towards the edge of the
wharf. Suddenly a small girl slipped and fell in the water. Those who saw her fall gasped and stepped back, looking in fear at the oncoming ferry. They could see the captain frantically trying to steer away, but they knew he wouldn’t be able to manage it in time. Some turned away, not wanting to see what seemed bound to happen.
Quite unexpectedly, a teenage boy dived into the water, and lifted her on to the wharf and scrambled back himself, just as the ferry swept in. No one could really believe it.
Later, a TV reported talked to those who had witnessed the scene. One of them said that
he went to the same school as the boy and knew him fairly well. “But I never thought he would have had it in him,” he said. “He’s just an ordinary person, quite nice, but he never usually thinks very quickly. He must have been really
34 inspired this morning. I’ll never forget it.”