Acts 3: Purposeful Waiting • Obedience • Power
Scripture: Acts 3:2-8 NIV
2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.
Observation:
I notice that it says that this man was "put" there everyday. there were people who, part of their daily routine, was to bring this lame guy there to beg for money in the temple courts. Maybe to bank on the sympathy of man? I'm not even sure he lifted his head to look at people when he asked for money, he probably just was so low and used to this mundane life task that he found no purpose to lift his eyes. When Peter heard him ask for money, he looked straight at him and so did John and they commanded for the man to "look at them" to "see" him.
why did the guy expect to get something from him? Well maybe because they called him out of his monotony. Sometimes when we get called out of out of our routine and our attention is asked to be somewhere else we expect to get some benefit from it, in this case the beggar expected money, but that is the thing, even this beggar didn't understand the benefit that came from his obedience to Peter's simple command to look at them. What the beggar expected was just in the realm of his monotony.
So Peter replied, something extraordinary. "Silver or gold I do not have". In other words, I do not have the money that you expect to get everyday that you're placed here, everyday that you wake up and are carried to sit here and beg, i do not have that thing that you're asking for, I do not have that thing you're quite literally begging for--but what i do have, i will give you. And what was that thing? The ability to walk again, the ability to do more than what was previously limited to the beggar, something the beggar would have never imagined would happen as he was carried for the last time to his daily spot to beg.
“There is something about the power in the name of Jesus that allows someones internal workings to mend together in places that once were limp, to find strength in places there was once none.”
and what did he expect this money to do? why didn't he beg for more? because what could they have done?
also, being that the beggar was there everyday outside of the temple courts, I'm sure people prayed for him to walk. People have probably spoke about him either to him or around him and used the word "walk", but it wasn't until the words "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” was said before it, that the power to actually do so is granted. There is something about the power in the name of Jesus that allows someones internal workings to mend together in places that once were limp, to find strength in places there was once none, to have ability in places where where there was no ability. And not only that, but to be done with excellence, in walking and jumping.
Everyday he was brought by his friends to this place in front of the temple to beg and now he is able to go inside the temple and can ask for much more, is part of a community, and can praise God.
It is the name of Jesus that grants change from the inside that strengthens the spirit so that the flesh can move toward God and be successful in everything it does.
What is the truth in this scripture?
That sometimes we have routines in our lives, habits, monotony in some areas and because of this we are used to these behaviors, patterns and routines. The issue with this is that we start to only expect things in the realm of that comfortable world and even when something calls us out of this mundane way of living, what we expect to get from it is something that won't take us out of this hamster wheel of life, asking of life things that won't even really make a real change. God places people in our lives through the working of the Holy Spirit to take us out of the mundane, the same Holy Spirit that lives in each of us when we are born again and in that the ability to do the unimaginable. in my life, the mundane/routine/consistent behavior can be so many things:
sticking in my comfort zone, sleeping on the gifts that God has given me
continuously falling short in a specific areas, begging for forgiveness instead of true deliverance
But what is it that is going to help me? The name of Jesus--Jesus' power. The power of his mighty name. How much more will I be able to do with the inner strength that comes from having the muscles of perseverance strengthened in my spirit when my flesh wants to fall short? Still holding my hand out to the Holy Spirit when my flesh wants to sit and beg and my spirit wants to walk and jump.
I currently am like this beggar, but the difference is that sometimes I don't care that the Peter and John told me to look at them and take their hand, sometimes i keep my head down and sit in my comfortability, lame and begging. but why?
In verse 16 it says:
16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
Dear God,
Grant me more faith in the name of Jesus, so that I am made strong in the areas where I still fall short, so that i am completely healed. I desire to repent from my lame habits and to get up and walk with faith in the name of Jesus. I desire to beg for Holy Spirit to take me up by the right hand and to be helped out of moments in the battle, not just for "money" and forgiveness that keeps me in the same place month after month.
In Jesus' might mighty name amen!
- anashia