Opportunity!
Acts 3
Here we are in week three of the diary of the early church…perhaps it is more of a scrapbook of little notes and pictures, news paper clippings of events that that the writer wanted noticed so we don’t want to forget. It had only been a couple of weeks since Jesus ascended into heaven and last week we talked about the birthday of the church….the arrival of the Holy Spirit. The third person of God that is to be our guide and comforter.
Last week we noticed that with the woosh..with the wind the people were changed.
I hope that you made an effort to be open to the spirit over the week.
So in our scripture today we have two disciples still in Jerusalem, and they are acting in a pretty normal way. It is the 9th hour, that is three in the afternoon and that means it is time for prayer. There were three times of prayer each day held at the temple. Two of them included sacrifices and the third did not.
Peter and John are just headed up to the temple, this happens after Pentecost but we really don’t know how long after. But, they don’t seem to have any fear as they head up to the temple…..in scripture it is always described as going up to the temple….two reasons…the first is most obvious. The temple is the highest place in Jerusalem…Second, when you are going to be in the presence of God you always go up.
Suddenly they were not afraid to go into the streets and talk about Jesus. Peter is just plain bold. The only thing that happens is that thousands of people believe in Jesus Christ as the messiah.
They had a great day, Chapter two describes a teaching period and even says that they met in the temple courts daily.
So, we can guess that Peter and John were heading up to Sunday school. There are no telling how many days they have seen this man. A beggar, 40 years old and never had a real job a day in his life. His legs appear obviously weak. I doubt he looks healthy. His friends get him to his begging spot right in from of the main entrance to the temple… The beautiful gate -- was said to be covered in polished brass, had precious stones inset. In is the opening that separates the courtyard of the gentiles from the courtyard of women… when you stand in this gate you see the Nicanor Gate where you can see the Alter of Sacrifice, where the sacrifices are burned, rising high behind the Nicanor gate you can see the building that contains the Alter of Incense and the Holy of holies.
Standing at the gate beautiful visually looks like looking into heaven. The appearance is grand and everything is huge. It looks God sized.
But as Peter and John go up the stairs to the temple mount, there sits the beggar. You know back then, if you could not support your self, and your family did not support you it was not long before you died.
There was no real treatment for disabling disease or birth defects. All you could do was sit around. If the family was poor, you needed to earn your own way. So begging was almost all that was available. The Jewish law instructed the people to give to the poor. It was part of the culture to give some of what God gave you for the sake of humanity.
So, I imagine that this man was not the only beggar along the stairs. This man asks Peter and John for money. Probably something he does to different people hundreds of times a day.
He is like one of thoes telemarketers that call during dinnertime. They call to offer you an opportunity. A Credit Card, a time chare, news paper or any kind of product or service.
What is our response when someone offers us an opportunity….Are we suspicious?
Do we look for what is in this proposal for us?
Of course we do!
When we are offered an opportunity, there is supposed to be something in it for me. But, it will most likely include a benefit for the person asking as well.
We get the wall Street journal at a discount and … they get a commission for sharing this amazing deal….
In their job, they have to ask, 10, 20, 50 maybe 100 people before someone actually agrees to take the service. That is hard work. I can not imagine how someone can take that much rejection.
This beggar is offering the people entering the temple a change to keep a God given instruction to give alms to the poor. He is asking 100’s of people a day just to get enough money for food and shelter. If he were making big bucks he would not have been working the steps day after day.
He sits there because he has little or no choice of leaving or choosing to do something else. He just faces the rejection.
He sits there not really expecting anything doesn’t he? 100’s of no’s an occasional yes with a few small coins perhaps a couple of dollars from time to time.
Peter speaks to the man, "Look at us!" This beggar is awakened out his dulled thoughts and automatic calling of ALMS. He is expecting to hear a coin, of some value hit the ground or land in his cup. He looks up expectantly.
Peter continues, Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you.
You know that had to be a downer, to have a small expectation of money and this guy is teasing him.
What is he going to give him, a beating with a stick, or some other abuse, I guess it could be a little better perhaps some bread of fruit.
The man has such a limited expectation that there is no way that he would have expected any thing except a little cash to be of any real good to him.
Peter continues, In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.
Before he can give any reaction, Peter reaches for his hand and pulls him up. And the scripture says that his legs and ankles were made hole and he started to walk.
Then he went into the temple shouting and praising God and jumping around.
This was the first time that this man had ever been allowed in the temple. As a disabled person, he was considered a sinner, and completely unclean. We was ineligible to come to worship.
Now suddenly, with no warning, the beggar gets a gift that he never expected. He has been miraculously healed. Not only are his legs strong but he knows how to walk and jump. Something he has never personally done.
As he enters the temple courts, the beggar is praising God. He is shouting his praises so that everyone can hear. Look What God has Done!!!
He is hopping around like a frog on a hot piece of road. And the people that are present are absolute amazed. The recognized this man. Isn’t he one of thoes beggars outside? How did this happen?
The beggar is holding on to Peter and John, and the people start gathering around and asking each other what is going on. How did this all happen? This is just crazy. How did these men do it?
This beggar asked for money and instead revealed the gift of healing. He was as damaged person living a minimum dull existence. He wanted to fill his need by allowing others to fulfill their obligations and instead of the opportunity he expected, was absolutely amazed by the blessing of God. He an obvious sinner, cursed by God is healed.
Peter speaks to the crowd, "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
Why does this surprise the people….well, it really does not happen that often!
So, that seems like a pretty dumb question. These people don’t have the benefit of witnessing Jesus and the things he did. This was pretty shocking.
Perhaps some are looking of opportunities as the see what theses men have accomplished.
The are stand around trying to make sense of what they are seeing. Is it a trick? It does not seem like it. Perhaps some think Peter and John have powers.
Peter Goes to preaching and reminds the hearers about the death of Jesus Christ….he says, You Killed him!
However, by faith I the name of Jesus this man is healed. Who’s faith are we talking about?
They did not tell the beggar about Jesus; however, they declared it in his name…It seems to me that we are talking about the faith of Peter and John brought healing to this man. But, the faith they have is not theirs it is God’s.. God provided faith through the power of the Holy Spirit. So the complete act is a movement of God.
Folks, where are we n this story? Ad Christians are we living as Peter and John, believing that by faith fantastic miracles can happen? On occasions we might fall into this description. I wish it were a lot mote offer. I wish I could actually hold a candle to Peter’s boldness for just a couple of months. But, I am not sure that any of you would like me very much if I did.
So, if not Peter and John, then how about the crowd that gathered. Coming together to see the show. Perhaps, holding a feeling a amazement because of the obvious miracle.
I have heard about miracles happening…..I know one person that tells me he was totally healed. I have heard of others and I am hoping for several more. On a more personal connection, I have witnessed conditions freeze and not get any worse. I pray a prayer of thanks, but deep down inside, I have to keep asking the God will keep it that way. So are we in the crowd? Watching an even with no direct knowledge to events just a wile imagination to piece all the information together. Again, I think that sometimes we can be the crowd. But, I am afraide that just like the crowd that day it would not bee too long before we go back to the daily routine and forget all about wondrous signs to the presence of God.
Folks, I think that the majority of the time we leve our lives sitting on the steps of the world not really expecting much. We look at our limitations, health, finances, stress and abilities and we don’e expect much. All I can do is sit here on the steps and see what handouts God will give me.
When we come to church and have no expectation to get anything. No expectation to have an change in your life…the we will get exactly what we are expecting….
The beggar in the scripture this week, may not have been expecting much, just a meal and a roof. Unfortunately, he probably expected more than many of us when we come to church. He came to the temple are a with need more than wants.
He left receiving a gift that he deader not to even dream about. He walked home. God touched him to glorify himself….
Now that this beggar would enter the temple, do you think he ever came there and had no expectation that God could and would do something?
How about us and our situation, Has God touched us? Has he done great things that we should be telling people about…
I know we do…. Or at least I know that there is an opportunity.
In our scripture we are told that theis man is 40 ears old. From my limited expirece with beggars I know that they seem o start very young. Do you think there is a chance that he was sitting outside the temple the day that Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple of offer a sacrifice after his birth, The beggar would have been about, 6 or years old.
How about later when Jesus was 12. the beggar would have been 19 or so but a boy has nothing to give a beggar.
Do you think he heard the stories about Jesus in the recent weeks the healings of people in the city and even in the temple. How he missed his opportunity.
Peter said, Look at us! And the spirit of God healed the man’s legs for the Glory of God. The spirit is alive and with us and can change is if we will take the smallest notice and have the tiniest of expectation that something is going to happen.
Are you just sitting at the gate about of automatic response or are you expecting to be healed and made ready to enter into the Gates of heaven?
All Glory be to God!
