Acts 3
Peter Heals a Crippled Beggar
1Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. 2As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. 3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money.
4Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” 5The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. 6But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene,a get up andb walk!”
7Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. 8He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.
9All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. 10When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! 11They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John.
Peter Preaches in the Temple
12Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness? 13For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of all our ancestors—who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s decision to release him. 14You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer. 15You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!
16“Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.
17“Friends,c I realize that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was done in ignorance. 18But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had foretold about the Messiah—that he must suffer these things. 19Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. 20Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. 21For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22Moses said, ‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.’d 23Then Moses said, ‘Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from God’s people.’e
24“Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today. 25You are the children of those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendantsf all the families on earth will be blessed.’ 26When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways.”
Have you ever seen someone sleepwalk? One of my friends growing up swore that she did all her homework for a term in her sleep. I didn’t believe her but if it was true, how amazing would that have been! A little while ago my wife was baby sitting for her sister and was cuddled up and cozy on the sofa, watching TV. She heard a noise and into the light of the room stepped her 10 year old niece. She stood there, looking slightly creepy and mumbling to herself. She was fast asleep, totally unaware of what was happening.
People say that you shouldn’t wake up someone who is sleep walking but I believe that God wants to do exactly that for so many of us who sleepwalk through our lives. We go from place to place, fulfil our tasks but never are awake to what God is doing around us. There is so much more that God has for us in our lives.
In today’s reading we see Peter and John heading to the Temple and outside the gate is a beggar.
Peter and John looked at him intently
Acts 3:4
They were awake to what was happening in the world around them. They would have seen dozens of beggars on the way to the Temple. However, as the saw this one, they didn’t just see the man but also what God wanted to do for him.
“I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”
Acts 3:6
Immediately he was healed and started celebrating. There was quite a crowd and Peter’s eyes were once again open to what God wanted to do next.
Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd.
Acts 3:12
There was a sensitivity to the opportunity in the moment to share the love of God with a man who desperately needed it and then to also proclaim the Gospel to the crowd who came to see what was happening. Peter’s eyes were wide open and he was courageous in his approach: sharing the Gospel with actions and with words.
God has not given us the Holy Spirit and the Gospel to keep to ourselves. Everyone of us is called to bring hope and healing to the people around us.
What opportunities are you walking past without seeing? What if today you intentionally went a little slower and were a little more present? Don’t just run from place to place but walk with your eyes open allowing God to show you the opportunities that he has placed around you today.
May many rise up and walk in Your power, praising God because of what You have done. Amen.
