A pastor friend told about a children’s sermon he preached. Using an animal as an object lesson, he asked the children, “What is the small furry animal that lives in the trees and stores up acorns for the winter?” One little boy raised his hand urgently. When the pastor called on him, the boy answered, “Jesus!” The pastor told him, “No,” but the boy persisted, “Jesus. Jesus.” After the service, the parents of the boy apologized to the pastor. “We don’t know where we went wrong. He is always in church.” The boy interrupted their apology: “It’s ok, mom and dad. I know he was talking about a squirrel. But he should have been talking about Jesus.”
After Peter and John healed the lame man, he held on to them. The crowds came running, amazed by the miracle. Notice, that Peter immediately started talking about Jesus. He did not want them to think of him or John as miracle workers. Instead, he told them that God had glorified Jesus. Peter did not let them off the hook for crucifying Jesus. With a rhetorical flourish, he reminded them that they disowned Jesus and handed him over to be killed. They killed the “author of life, but God raised him from the dead.”
Peter and John were witnesses as Jesus told them to be (Acts 1:8). Faith in the name of Jesus had completely healed the man. In my early years as a pastor, someone asked me if I believed in faith healers. I responded, “I believe in God’s healing power, but not in individuals who claim to be healers.” What is the difference? Does the person draw attention to themselves or Jesus? The more we see a person take credit and focus on their power, the less they focus on Jesus. We should take the little boy’s advice: let’s talk about Jesus!
