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

242 THE WITHERED HAND
III.
The Significance of the Miracle.
The nature of the change effected in this man's
experience may teach us important lessons. His
limb was wasted, had lost its power, and the disease
which had affected it was established and incurable.
He was a piteous spectacle—a man full of vigour,
yet unable to work and dependent on charity. In
the Apocryphal Gospel, according to the Hebrews,
which was accepted by the Xazarenes and the
Ebionites, he is said to have been a mason, and that
he asked our Lord to heal him in order that he might
no longer have to beg his daily bread.
This was the
sort of plea that would touch the Saviour's heart, and
the man asked for the very kind of blessing He
would like to give. The Lord, therefore, restored to
him power to do work, and there are few blessings
greater than to
eat bread which has been sweetened
by the labour which made it our own.
He is willing also to give us power to do other
work. There are sins within, and evils around, which
have to be fought against, and to this
conflict we are
all called, and if any one says, " I cannot give to the
poor, or visit the sick, or teach the ignorant, or lead
another to the feet of Jesus, or even lay hold of salvation
for myself," he is as one with a withered hand.
Such incapacity sometimes finds its root in sin
;
perhaps it is self-consideration which will not allow