, 1935-02-22
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON
Text: Acts 3:1-10; 4:s-l2
The international Uniform Sunday
School Lesson for Feb. "a
BY WIN. 4. GnROY, ID. ID.
Editor of Advance

GuAtot VI A0tMA@C
The incident of the healing of the
lame man lying at the beautiful gate
of the temple lays strong hold Of the
imagination and Is very incisive In
some Of its suggestions and teach
lngs.
Peter and John we're going UP into
the temple az the hour OF prayer.
That in itself was a very interest
ing circumstance.
The temple was the great central
symbolic institution OF Jewish life
and worship. 1t represented the au-
thority of those who had so recently
been instrumental in crucifying
Jesus. Yet Peter and John were go
ing into the temple to pray.
III they had followed the course Of
certain people in the churches since
churches were established, how dit
ferent would have been their atti-
tude. Instead OF going into the tenn
pie to pray they would probably have
been found saying, Well never go
inside that temple again. Well never
aave anything to do with a religion
hat has taken our Master and cruel
led him"
That is the way people talk about
the church. Let some church mem
Ger wrong somebody else, and the
Individual wronged, utterly ignor-
.nq that one church member is no
he church, will be very apt to say.
I'll never have anything to do with
the church"
How much wiser and better was
he attitude OF Peter and joint The
temple was not responsible for the
inful thing that had been done. The
temple was TO those who entered It's
portals whatever they made II. ii
enc came with faith and as as
piration. the temple might inded b.
a holy place.
Peter and John were not going to
cast the temple out Of their lives be-
cause men associated with the tenn
pie had done unseemly and unholy
.hings.
Then. as we enter further into the
incident. how strikingly its teachings
nave come home. The beggar at the
beautiful gate asked Peter and John
for aims. They had no money to give
out Peter said to the beggar, Look
on US"
The beggar, still expectant, looked
earnestly upon them. But Peter said
"silver and gold have I none. but
what ! have that give ] thee"
He proceeded then 70 perform a
miracle in healing the lame man. II
seems strange to us, and yet that Is
the vay miracles are performed-by
those who apparently have nothing
10 give. but who give what they have.
II in the world today there were
that spirit Of helpfulneSs. what great
miracles might be performed! They
might not be miraculous in trans
cending law. but they would. never
theless, be wonderful in their re
suits.
How different. for the most part.
Is our attitude. How wont We are 70
say, Il can't afford anything. 1
haven't anything to give" though
that is not always really true; and
there the matter ends.
How different. If we would say,
we IldNC 4lNI4Cs Ddb odNAA % w 49,
we give.' Could we not even in our
poverty make the lives Of other men
brighter and better?
Then there Is a further symbol
ism in the narrative. Peter took
him by the right hand and raised
him up. He did not lecture him and
tell him that he had strength
enough TO get up If he would try. He
did not even tell him to rise IN his
Own strength Of God.
He took him by the right hand
and he lifted him up. After all, 1t Is
about the only way in which we can
really help people. An outstretched
hand in brotherly help is more ef-
fective than a great deal Of theor-
iZing.