Peter must have been surprised when upon going to greet Jesus with a
bright "Good-morning," he found the guest-chamber empty. Perhaps he
guessed where Jesus had gone; for we are told that, "Simon and they
that were with him followed after Him. And when they had found Him,
they said unto Him,
"_All men seek Thee_!"
What a glorious condition will be in this old world when it can be
truthfully said to Christ,
"_All men seek Thee_!"
[Sidenote: "All Men Seek Thee."]
Selfishness, envy, hatred, lying, stealing, cheating, disobedience to
parents, cruelty to children and to dumb animals, quarreling among
neighbors, and fighting among nations--all will be no more when it can
be truthfully said to the Redeemer of mankind,
"_All men seek Thee_!"
[Sidenote: Around Galilee.]
It seems that Jesus and His friends left Capernaum that day, and
"Preached in synagogues throughout all Gililee, and cast out devils."
Wherever they went the sick were healed, and the lepers were cleansed.
Some days afterwards, they returned to Capernaum. No sooner did the
people learn that Jesus was in "the house" (undoubtedly Peter's house)
than "Straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was
no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and He
preached the word unto them."
[Sidenote: A Man Sick of Palsy.]
It was on this occasion that four men brought a man sick of palsy. The
poor man lay on his bed, each corner of which was held by one of the
four men. Finding it impossible because of the crowd to gain entrance
to the house by the door, they went on the roof. Here they made an
opening into the room below, "And let down the bed wherein the sick of
the palsy lay."
"When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of palsy, Son, thy
sins be forgiven thee.
"And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them
all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying: We
never saw it on this fashion." All these glorious manifestations of
divine power, and, undoubtedly, many, many more, Jesus had given even
before He chose His Twelve Apostles.
[Sidenote: Peter's Faith Strengthened.]
Peter, as you see, was a witness of them all. If he had had any doubts
a few months previous, when his brother Andrew said, "We have found the
Messiah," surely they had long since been banished from his mind; and
we can readily understand why, when Jesus said, "Henceforth thou shalt
catch men," Peter "forsook all and followed Him."
But even yet, notwithstanding all his experiences, Simon's faith is not
the Rock that Jesus would have it become.
Footnotes:
1. Luke 5:1-3.
2. Luke 5:5.
3. Luke 5:8.
4. Luke 5:10.
5. Luke 4:31-40.
6. Luke 4:36.
LESSON 4
A Special Witness
"The Twelve traveling counselors are called to be the Twelve Apostles,
or special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world."
[Sidenote: A Night of Prayer.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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