Acts 3: Highlights & Discussion

HIGHLIGHTS:

Acts 3

Location: Temple, gate of the temple called Beautiful

Who: Peter and John, lame man, crowd

When: 3:00pm (hour of prayer)

What: A lame man healed and preaching on Solomon's porch

Classic scriptural example of meeting the needs of the people then preaching the Gospel.

DISCUSSION:

I LOVE Acts 3:4-6, it says

And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us." So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.

The focus from both parties is worthy to note. It says that John and Peter fixed their eyes on him, the man who was lame from his mother's womb (vs. 2) and then it says "he gave them his attention," and he was expecting something. More often than not, I wonder about my focus on Jesus Christ. If I was that lame man, and in some ways I am that lame man, I am that person who cannot walk without His power. Do I give Him the attention? I correlate John and Peter fixing their eyes on this lame man to how Jesus fixes His eyes upon me. How He is so focused on me, on us, on the whole human race, but do I give Him back that same focus and attention? Also, am I really expecting something in return? Yes, we ask God for protection or when we are in some kind of trouble we go to Him but is that all there is to it?

After all these years, this man must've thought that he would always be lame but I believe that somewhere inside he really believed that he could be healed completely, he was "expecting to receive something..." (vs. 5). It could be alms that he was expecting, but it really doesn't say that he was expecting money. It just says he was expecting something. True, Peter did say, "Silver and gold I do not have..." but I want to venture a guess here that perhaps this lame man had more faith than a lot of us.

I recall the woman who had a bleeding disorder for 12 years (found in Matthew 9:20-22), she said to herself if only she could touch the hem of his (Jesus) garment, she would be made well. Indeed, she was made well that very hour and Jesus said, "...your faith has made you well..." Could it be that this lame man really anticipated complete restoration every day that he was at the gate called Beautiful? I believe that he really had faith that he would be healed. Are we anticipating complete restoration and healing everyday we come to God in prayer?