READ ACTS CHAPTER 3
How many times have I seen it? A homeless man or woman's eyes fall on my pocket. How about the black man at the La Vista Starbucks yelling “Come on now. Come on now.” How many times have I seen it? A lonely person seeking just a little time with me – to fill the unfulfilled parts of the heart? How many times has someone needed a strength I could never give?
We don’t have what it takes.
Acts 3, Peter and John walk pass the gate "Beautiful". They have come for a time of prayer. This would have been in the ninth hour, or 3 o’clock. Peter sees the crippled man. This relationship between Peter and the crippled man would be mutual as was the custom of the day. Peter fulfills a spiritual obligation by giving alms to the poor. The crippled man receives the money he desperately needs (Luke 18:35). So, the beggar and Peter’s eyes meet. Will Peter meet this mutual obligation? What is Peter's response?
“Silver and gold have I none. But what I have, I give to you.”
Peter’s response is beautiful and powerful. It tells me so much about the state of our very first Church leaders. First, it tells me what Peter DIDN’T have. The apostle Peter, the rock on which God built his church (Matt 16:18) didn’t have a buck-fifty on him. If I am to love, to heal, to restore, it is with a power completely outside of my control. It's so hard to admit that. I try to give pocket lint away to people who need to be healed.
"Maybe this is why I keep failing in that relationship?"
What he did have was a gift to physically heal. If I could exchange one for the other! Think about using such a gift with the Sudanese AIDS victims or the mentally ill living under Woodall Rogers. But would I? If I had the choice, would I give up the opportunity to bless another for money?
James Boice tells us a powerful story about Thomas Aquinas: “St. Thomas Aquinas was in Rome. He was walking along the street with a cardinal. The cardinal noticed a beggar. Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out a silver coin and gave it to him. Then he turned to Aquinas, the great doctor of the church and said, “Well Thomas," he turned to Aquinas, "fortunately we can no longer say, as Peter did, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’” St. Thomas replied, “Yes, that is true. But neither can we say, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
But Peter does.
Truly, a part of me wishes that I wish I could make the decision between money and healing - so I might choose healing. My family is broken, my friends are broken, my city is broken. It is at these times I wish we all had the ability to bless and heal. Maybe God doesn’t demand we decide between our own personal wealth and the ability to heal someone physically, emotionally or spiritually, but sometimes I wish it were a choice.
OK. Stop everything you are doing. Take a moment and close your eyes. Ask the question: “How have I touched another so that they may be healed?” With your eyes closed, take the opportunity to work through your rolodex of relationships. Is my presence a transformative presence?
Alright. Continuing – I am fully convinced that Peter wishes that we carry this blessing to EVERYONE around us. Finish reading the chapter and read for yourself. Verse 7-26. Then, come back.
Now, reread verse 25.
“…And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”
We carry the gene of blessing, the gene of restoration.
This is not just another verse in the Bible. First, Peter preaches to the Jewish people to turn and follow Christ. Then, he reminds them of their Abrahamic covenant (an unbreakable promise God made to them nearly 2000 years earlier Genesis 12:2-3). He paints a beautiful picture of their purpose. What is it? To be a blessing. To touch the heart of their brother and sister, and transform their lives. To pay for the damage even if it was “his” fault. To call up the dreaded family member. To put it ALL down and talk with your daughter, no matter how silly the conversations. To carry the “gene blessing” to all the nations. We might not have all the riches in the world, but we still carry the power of Christ within us to bless those around us.
What am I carrying with me today as I walk out the door?
Peace friends,
Kevin
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In this busy city of running 100mph all the time it is easy to become jaded by those around us. The homeless? Friends? Neighbors? I may give change to a homeless person if I am feeling extra holy that day, or I may lock my car door. I may answer the phone when a friend calls in need, or I may be "too tired". I may offer a hand to a neighbor who is going through a rough time, or I may just keep walking and act like I don't know whats going on. When I think about this passage I wonder how many times did Peter go to the Temple and walk past this man, or maybe use the opposite entrance to avoid him? Similarly to my avoidance of those around me, when I'm just not feeling "holy". More than just dropping off some change, answering my phone, or stopping to say hi to my neighbor, maybe I need to open my doors to offer just a little bit of Christ healing. In this chapter the lame man needed to walk, but in my life maybe the healing I can offer is as simple as words of encouragement, a listening ear, or a pair of hands.
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that the lame man was looking/expecting one thing and received something completely different. I really believe that Peter was making a connection to that very disposition several verses later when he began to call the sinful man to repentance so that he may receive the refreshment from Jesus. Peter turned the man from focusing on the simple mundane task of begging from day to day by completely healing his ailment that caused him to beg in the first place. I also LOVE the idea of each of us becoming the promise of the Abrahamic covenant.
ReplyDeleteToo true, Ryan.
ReplyDeletev. 2-6; What blessing can we be to those we see on the street expecting just money from us? Just dropping money on them is not the answer, or Peter might have conjured up a few coins. The point being, Peter had something more rich to offer. Don't we?
V. 11 in my NIV translation, the beggar "held on" to Peter and John. Why?
v.12-15, 19: I LOVE how Peter sums up the Gospel message of salvation in 5 verses (not to mention Old Testament history). That would be a simple Gospel presentation to memorize.
As an aside: v. 1 - So, if Peter and John were free during the day at 3pm, I guess their work day ran from 4am with the fish to 11am? Hhhmm. Makes me think, should I be praying somewhere after my work day at 5pm?