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"Now Peter and John were going up to the
temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer.
"And a certain man who had been lame from his mother’s
womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the
gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those
who were entering the temple. And when he saw Peter and John about to
go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms.
"And Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze upon him and said, ‘Look at
us!’
"And he (the beggar) began to give them (Peter and
John) his attention, expecting to receive something from them. But
Peter, said, ‘I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to
you; in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene – walk!’ And seizing him by
the right hand, he raise him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles
were strengthened.
"And with a leap, he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple
with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him
walking and praising God;
"And they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the
Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement
at what had happened to him." (Acts 3:1-10)
Jerusalem – the city that killed the prophets and stoned those sent to her. The
city that Jesus loved, and wanted to gather her children just as a hen gathers her brood
under her wings (Luke 13:34).
At this time in history it is believed that the population of Jerusalem was about
50,000. It was the capital of Judea. It was a center of trade and a crossroads, filled
with pilgrims going from here to there. Since it was also the center of Jewish life and
worship, many travelers would plan that their trip take them through Jerusalem so that
they could be there over the Sabbath and go to the temple. The Jews considered the
followers of Jesus to be a party within Judaism and therefore allowed them to worship
there as well.
The scene that day might have very well resembled a parade – people going in and
out of the temple, a constant flow of humanity. This is what the lame man saw every day as
he was carried to the Gate of Beautiful, and was left there to beg alms of those who were
entering the temple.
The Scriptures don’t tell us who brought him to the temple. Was it family,
friends? If it was family, were some of them able to work and help with the day to day
expenses necessary to survive? Or if it were friends, did the beggar have to pay them from
a portion of his day’s collection for taking him there, and then coming back to get
him at the end of the day? We are told that he had been lame since birth. But how many
years had he been forced to sit at the gate and beg?
We do know one thing for certain. Up until this fateful
day he had always looked to the religious people entering the temple for at
least a part of his financial support. Let’s look again at verses 3-5,
"And when he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking
to receive alms. And Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze upon him and
said, ‘Look at us!’ And he began to give them his attention,
EXPECTING to receive something from them."
How often had he gone through this same routine. How often had he cried out to the
religious for alms. He EXPECTED to receive from them.
So why was this day different? It began the same as every other day. He cried out for
help. He got the attention of two men going in to worship. They were coming over to him.
Yes, they were going to help him!
But then a very strange thing happened. The man told him that he didn’t have any
silver or gold. No silver or gold? Then why had the man told the beggar to look at them?
What did he mean when he said, "But I’ll give you what I have." What could
these two strangers possibly have to give him if they didn’t have alms?
"In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene – walk!"
What a strange thing to say! Yes, the lame man had heard stories of this Jesus. What
else did he have to do every day while sitting at the gate but to listen to the stories of
the city?
And then one of the men seized him by the hand! Before he even could utter a sound, he
was standing! And not only that, his legs and feet, crippled and deformed since birth, had
become straight! He could stand! He could walk! He could jump!
What had happened? He had been carried to the gate that morning begging alms from the pious,
the religious. This evening he would be walking home! What joy! What wonder and amazement!
Look what God had done!!
How many times have we looked to the "religious" for help? We have gotten
into a pattern, a routine. It became easier to look to religion than to seek the Truth for
ourselves. It became easier to look to the government than to seek the Truth for
ourselves.
Religion and the government are NOT the source of our income. They are NOT the source
of our existence. They are NOT the source of our joy, our peace, our salvation, our
healing. There is only one name that can give us Life. And that is the name of Jesus
Christ the Nazarene.
Today, don’t look at the church, or government agencies, or family or friends. LOOK
AT GOD! Rise and walk and praise God. For it is He who supplies all our needs
according to HIS riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
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