Folks Who've Been with Jesus

"Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13)

Have you ever heard the old adage that "bad company corrupts good morals," beloved? How well I recall my parents' warning not to spend time with this person or that one simply because "they're a bad influence." Now as a teenager wanting desperately to be accepted and to have friends, the idea of "influence" was pretty well lost on me, even as a Christian.

It was not at all lost on Peter and John, however. As they stood before Israel's highest court, looking upward into those somber faces there in the "Hall of Hewn Stone," how they would present themselves as representatives of Jesus Christ was definitely on their minds! Prompted by the unleashed Holy Spirit within, they responded to the condescending attitude of those judges with unparalleled wisdom and tenacious honesty. Their response was, in fact, the last thing the Sanhedrin expected to hear from a couple of Galilean fishermen!

As they sat and listened to Peter and John respond to their question concerning by what authority they had healed the lame beggar lying at the "Beautiful" gate of the temple, an uneasy awareness crept over them. They had heard these words before! They had seen this boldness before! But precisely where they could not yet pinpoint. Then it dawned on them. These men spoke like that pesky Nazarene whom they had just summarily crucified! These men had been with Jesus! That was where they had heard these words and witnessed this boldness. Would they ever truly be rid of Him?

Influence is a powerful tool, beloved, and one that you and I use every day whether we realize it or not. Look back over your day today. With how many people were you physically and verbally in contact? How many phone conversations did you hold? Are you aware that in each of those lives you left indelibly stamped your own influence? You marked for eternity every person you encountered today and, surprise of surprises, you will do it again tomorrow! All that remains to be seen is whether your influence in their lives will be for the good or for something somewhat less noble.

If asked, how many of the people you encountered today could honestly conclude, as did the Sanhedrin judges who listened to Peter and John, that you have "been with Jesus"? What of the Master's character is visible in your words and deeds? What are you doing on earth for heaven's sake? Guard carefully your influence, beloved! It is a priceless gift that you are giving.

Ron