|
|
|
his tongue. Then the Christ met also a leper, and the leper said to Him,
"Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean from my leprosy."
The Christ said, "I will," and immediately he was clean as the
Christ had said. Who among men, among the prophets of God and His saints,
was able [to do] what the Christ was able [to do], to work signs and to heal
all diseases and sicknesses by power and authority, to create what He wished
and to forgive trespasses? and all this is of the works of God, no one among
men is able for a thing like that. By my life! we do not find one among men,
among the prophets of God or others who worked signs by authority, only by
invocation and by his power in humility and prayer. Some of them received an
answer, and some of them never received an answer at any time. Then the
Christ went also into a synagogue of the Jews on the Sabbath-day, and the
children of Israel were gathered unto Him, and He began to judge and to warn
them, and behold a man in the synagogue who had a withered hand. The Christ
said to them, "What is it right to do on the Sabbath-day, to do good,
or evil? that life should be saved, or destroyed?" They said,
"Nay, let us do good on the Sabbath and let life be saved." The
Christ said to them, "Ye speak truly." Then He said to him who had
the withered hand, "I say unto thee, Stretch forth thy hand," and
he stretched it forth, and, behold, it was like his other hand. The children
of Israel who saw it were amazed, and they knew that no man can work the
work of the Christ, and many people believed on Him. It is thus that God
wishes men's faith. He does not wish that any one should believe in Him
unwillingly; there is certainly no reward in unwillingness; but God wishes
men to believe in Him obediently, and that God should be liable for their
reward in truth. God is greatly to be praised, who sent us the word of His
prophets in correspondence with the works and signs of the Christ, and He
shewed to men that He is God of God, and it is He who has delivered and
saved us from error and destruction. He cured all diseases and sicknesses,
and led us to His light and honour. Jacob, that is Israel, prophesied when
his death drew near; he called his sons,
|
