THE HEALING OF A LAME BEGGAR
Part 1 – What Jesus Did For The Lame Man
Acts 3:1-10
Our selected text tells of a man who was hoping to receive a small contribution of charity from Peter & John. They were not able to give him what he wanted, but they were able to provide him with something far greater than he could have ever imagined. This man was a lame beggar; he was impoverished and suffered from a debilitating physical infirmity. All he wanted was some money to buy some food, but the Apostles introduced him to Someone who would work a miracle in his life. There outside the beautiful gate of the Temple, Jesus healed this lame man and gave him the ability to walk. Not only did be begin walking, he went on to leap and to praise God for this miracle.
There are likely some people here today who are more like this lame man than they realize. However, their condition is not a physical one, it is spiritual. The great news is that Jesus can do the same thing for you that He did for this lame man; He can touch you and make you whole. I would like to walk through these verses and examine “The Healing Of The Lame Beggar.”
As we examine the change that Jesus wrought in this man’s life, those of us who are saved will be reminded of all that He has done for us. Moreover, it is my prayer that those who have yet to be born again will see that He can do the same for them.
- Let’s begin in verse 1 and see:
A HEARTBREAKING SITUATION
Luke tells us of a man who had faced many difficulties throughout his life. He had a physical condition that had rendered him helpless in many ways. Because of his disability there were many things that he was unable to do, and as a result he spent his days begging for help from others. Though his situation seemed hopeless, God was about to do a great work in his life. This lame man had a divine appointment with grace! Two of God’s servants were about to come into his life and introduce him to One who would completely transform him.
Verse 1 says that “Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. (v1)
Peter and John went to the Temple at the “hour of prayer”. The Jews prayed three times a day: 9 a.m. (third hour),12 noon (sixth hour) and p.m. (ninth hour). At these times devout Jews and Gentiles who believed in God would go to the temple for a time of prayer. Two of these prayer services accompanied the daily sacrifices performed in the morning and in the afternoon.
There was something of a transition period in the days of the early church. The Jews who made up the first generation of Christians continued to attend the temple services for some time after the formation of the Church; in fact, this went on until the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D 70.
Throughout Acts you will see the Apostles and other believers present (and often sharing the Gospel) in the local synagogues. Knowing the importance of prayer and worship, Peter and John headed to the Temple for the afternoon hour of prayer, when they arrived, they encountered this man who was in desperate need of a miracle.
v2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple;
There was a large, ornamental gate on the eastern side of the Temple complex that separated the Court of the Women from the Court of the Gentiles. This gate was called “Beautiful”. When the Apostles arrived they saw this crippled man being carried to a specific place near the gate so that he could ask for “alms”. “Alms” is a word used to describe a charitable donation. This man was born lame; Luke describes him as “a certain man lame from his mother's womb”.
It was likely obvious to his parents early on that their precious baby boy had been born with a congenital defect. Clearly something was wrong with his legs. As his first birthday drew near, at a time when he should have been learning to walk, he couldn’t. There was no strength in his feet and ankle bones. When he was a young child and all of the other children were out playing and running around, all he could do is sit and watch. As an older boy, when all of the other boys began to work in the fields, he was unable to contribute. As a young man he had no way to provide for a prospective bride because his legs prevented him from working. His physical infirmity relegated him to a life of poverty and he spent his days as a beggar.
Truly, this was a heartbreaking situation! Though this man was crippled, helpless, and living in poverty; he had some friends who cared enough about him to carry him to the same spot each day so that he could ask for alms. Verse 3 says that he was “laid daily at the gate of the temple”.
Not much is known about those compassionate friends (or possibly family members) who cared enough to pick this man up and carry him to the Beautiful Gate, but there is much that we can learn from their example. Those friends had some of the same positive attributes as the Good Samaritan; they were compassionate, consistent, and selfless. They saw a man who was in need and rather than ignoring him, they took the time to help him. It is one thing to see someone in need; it is another to invest the time, energy and resources necessary to help them. Not only did they care enough to help him, they did so continually. This man was placed in the same location every single day, so much so that he was a fixture at the Temple gate and the worshippers knew exactly who he was.
This man spent his days begging at the entrance to God’s Temple. This was a prime location for a beggar because everyone who came to pray, offer a sacrifice and worship the Lord would have passed by him. Perhaps the worshippers would feel compassion for this man as they approached the temple with a heart of worship; or maybe after a time of worship and prayer they would feel guilty for ignoring him earlier and they would respond by giving him alms as they departed the Temple. It was also common for Jewish worshippers to give alms to the poor in an attempt to impress God with their good works.
This poor beggar may have been helpless, but he was no fool. He understood the old adage “location, location, location!” Little did he know that this specific location would be the place where his life would be changed forever. On this day he would encounter two servants of the Living God and he would go from sitting and begging to walking, leaping and praising God. This process began when he encountered two faithful servants of God.
- Luke describes a heartbreaking situation and then he goes on to describe:
A SIMPLE REQUEST
Verse 3 says that when he saw “Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.
As his friends carried him to the temple that day, this man was not looking for nor expecting to receive a miracle. All he wanted was some charity; if a few people cared enough to give him some bread or a little money to purchase some sustenance, the day would have been a success.
Many people take an interest in church because of what they think they can “get out of it”. They hope to receive benevolence, friendship, fellowship, or even entertainment. Likewise, many are intrigued by Jesus because of the things that they think He can do for them. They are looking for: help, healing, answers to their problems or a crutch for addiction. While it is true that Jesus can help those who are hurting, heal those who are sick, deliver people from addiction and solve life’s greatest problems, the greatest thing that He can do is provide salvation. The Savior declared that His purpose for coming to earth was to “seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10).
You may be looking for help today, if so, it is important for you to realize that Jesus can give you something far greater than you ever imagined. Thankfully, God has servants in this world who have been tasked with the responsibility of bringing the helpless and hopeless to Him.
Peter and John were two such servants and they were instrumental in the transformation of this lame man. Rather than granting his simple request, the Apostles pointed him to the one who would change his life forever. This leads us to the fact that the lame man received:
A MIRACULOUS HEALING
- The following verses record one of the greatest miracles in the Word of God.
v4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us." 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 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." 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them--walking, leaping, and praising God.
This man wanted chariy, but Peter essentially said “what you want I cannot provide, but I can give you something far greater than you ever imagined”. At that very moment, this lame beggar’s life was changed forever. He was changed by the power of Jesus Christ!
It is important for you to know that this same Jesus can work a miracle in your life today. With just one touch He can transform you eternally! You may not have come here looking for or expecting a miracle, but an amazing miracle is available for those who will trust in Jesus Christ.
My own personal testimony is not much different than the experience of this beggar. When I came to Christ all I wanted was to be rescued from the penalty of my sins. Simply stated, I did not want to go to hell. Certainly Jesus took care of that issue, but I had no idea of all the many blessings that would come along with my deliverance. Jesus not only forgave me of my sins and rescued me from Hell; He also made a way for me to be adopted into the family of God, and to receive the assurance of eternal life, a home in Heaven and a personal relationship with God Himself. Because of my relationship with Jesus I now possess hope, peace, joy and assurance. I have the privilege of communing with the Savior on a daily basis; I walk with Him and He talks to me. He has blessed me immeasurably and I am secure in the reality that one day I will be in His presence throughout eternity. Truly, He has given me far more than I could have ever asked for.
The great news is that He will do the same for you if you will repent and believe in Him. If you have never been born again, you are a spiritual cripple. Furthermore, the Bible declares that you are worse than sick, you are actually “dead in trespasses and sins”. It is important for you to know that the same Jesus who gave this lame man the ability to walk can “raise you to walk in newness of life”. He can provide you with abundant life here and now and He can give you eternal life, forgiveness of your sins and a home in Heaven. I encourage you to repent of your sins and trust in Jesus for salvation today.
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