The miracles of Jesus - Classical Christian Literature by Athleo.net

SICK OF THE PALSY 115
selves. He made the most loathsome lepers believe
that they could be made whole, and the filthiest sinners
believe that they could be made clean. He made
them believe it,
because He so thoroughly believed it
Himself. They read it in every glance, and heard it
in every word. They saw that He did not despair of
them, and the next step to that was that
they ceased
to despair of themselves. For the only way to make
people believe that they can be and do better is to
show them that you believe it, believe it with all your
hearts. Faith begets faith. That was how Jesus
worked, and works still. When He comes near He
does not talk to us about our inability, our feebleness,
and the chains which fasten us down. He sets about
persuading us that we can ascend, that faith will
make us mighty, that the divine is not far from any
one of us, that the power to be and do better things
is always within our reach, that we need not despair
and must not. Every word that Christ speaks spells
hope. Believe in God, He says, and that will
make you believe in yourselves. For there is nothing
impossible with Him. He can make the most
shattered column whole and straight again, and the
most broken and wasted life a thing of strength and
beauty. Christ taught this man, as He teaches all of
us, to attempt good things, by kindling in us new
hope, confidence, expectation, and belief in
ourselves.
" Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thine house."