Acts 9: The Healing of Aeneas for Little Children

A man named Aeneas could not walk. He could not jump, leap, dance, or carry himself anywhere. Eight long years he had been that way. He depended on his friends, and his family, to care for him. A man without legs cannot get very far in this world.

How many times do you think he wondered where God was? Or, how this had happened to him? Or even, why this had happened? Whatever thoughts he had about it; nothing much changed from day to day, and months passed into years. He could do nothing about his circumstances. He was lame in more ways than one.

But the Lord had taken notice. We are not told why; just that He did. He sent a man named Peter to find him. Peter didn’t know he was on his way to meet Aeneas, but God did. God is funny like that. We meet people we never would have had not God put us in the right place at the right time.

Peter found Aeneas. He was right where God put him. And so was Peter. He was right where God put him. Isn’t God lovely?

Peter said the most remarkable thing: Jesus Christ makes you well. Peter could say that because he had seen some very important and very wonderful things happen recently. Jesus, someone Peter had loved very much, had been wrongly arrested, falsely accused, and put to death. Jesus died, on a cross. He knew that Jesus was buried; he had seen the tomb where they laid Jesus.

Peter was terribly upset about it. He was lost even. Just as lost then as Aeneas was now sitting in front of him. But Peter had a new day dawn in his heart. Some women rushed into the house where Peter and his friends were staying, and they shouted out, Jesus was alive, and angels had told them They were breathless, but Peter ran as fast as he could to the tomb. It was empty!

Then, he saw Jesus with his own eyes. He could hardly believe it; and the meaning of it all took sometime to sink in. Jesus had died, but he was not dead any more. He was alive, not like before. more than before. Death had lost. Death was no match for Jesus. And Aeneas’ legs, lame as they were, were no match for Jesus either.

But Peter also saw Jesus rise up into heaven into the clouds. He craned his neck and squinted his eyes as much as he could. But Jesus had told them to wait, and he would send them a special Someone, Someone who would love them, and teach them, and care for them, just as He had.

That special Someone is named the Holy Spirit. And come He did, with wind and fire. Peter and his friends couldn’t believe it. That the Holy Spirit had come meant only one thing. The One they loved so much, Jesus, was now seated at the right hand of Almighty God. The One who had delivered Israel from Egypt long ago had now glorified the One who had just recently delivered them from sin and death.

They were amazed; they couldn’t believe it. And they started to shout and sing and rejoice in the languages of the nations, magnifying and praising God for bringing to pass everything Jesus had said would come to pass,. And they had the privilege of being the first ones to see it with their own eyes.

This Jesus, who had defeated death and sin, was now a king, the one specially annointed to be king over all the heavens and the earth. He not only could help Aeneas; He would help him. “Jesus Christ makes you well; make your bed,” Peter said. And Aeneas walked. So great a burden was lifted off his heart and life that he leapt for joy on the inside and on the outside.

Jesus healed Aeneas to tell us something we didn’t even know we were worried about. Kings can be scary. They are very strong. And someone who can conquer death and sin must be very strong indeed. We might have wondered if He would be a nice and kind king on a throne just as He was on the shores of Galilee. We might have wondered if He would still say, Suffer the little children to come to me.

Yes. Yes. Yes. He is still the same. By healing Aeneas, Jesus is showing us that He is not some scary, FEE-FI-FO-FUM kind of God. He is not thundering and breaking timbers. No, He is laying His hands on children still, blessing them, loving them, inviting them to be with Him forever and ever.

His heart is so big, and His love so broad, that He wanted all His little children to know that He hears. He knows we are sometimes lost, He knows we sometimes have no control over our circumstances, and He knows we sometimes don’t know where to go, or what to do.

So, He healed a man like that so that we would know for certain that He loves us, knows us, and cares for us deeply. He wanted us to know that He has prepared a place in His heart for you just as He made room for Aeneas. It doesn’t matter that we cannot find our way to Him. He has found you, and loves you very much.

Leap for joy on the inside, and on the outside. You have the very best, Special Someone, to keep reminding you when you need to be reminded that He loves you, and will be with you even unto the end.