Day 229: Acts 3:1–10

When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple complex, he asked for help. Peter, along with John, looked at him intently and said, “Look at us” (vv. 3–4).

What you have in this chapter of Scripture is a pair of mighty fine servants. Allow me to highlight a few things I love about Peter and John in this scene.

1. They cherished their heritage. Please don’t miss the fact that the New Testament church was Jewish! According to Acts 2:46 the believers met daily in the temple courts. Acts 3 opens with Peter and John on their way to the three o’clock prayer time at the temple, which coincided with the evening sacrifice. The thought never occurred to them to cast off their Judaism for their new faith in Christ. For heaven’s sake, Jesus was Jewish! Nothing could have been more absurd. Their Messiah had fulfilled their Jewish heritage. They were no longer obligated to the letter of the Law because Christ had met its righteous requirements. They were free, however, to enjoy its precepts and practices as expressions of their faith in Jesus.

Can you imagine how belief in Christ and their newfound knowledge of Jesus as the answer to every symbolic practice spiced up their participation? Suddenly the black-and-white of their ritual prayer services turned Technicolor with the life of the Spirit. I snicker when I think of observers at Pentecost thinking the disciples must have been drinking. Don’t you know they secretly wanted a sip of whatever the believers were having?

Try to grasp this, though: God cherishes your heritage, too. You may balk, “What are you talking about? My past is horrible!” Listen carefully, Beloved. We are no longer under the law and authority of our pasts, but like Peter and John we are also free to use them as they lend expression to our faith in Jesus. As much as you might not want to hear this, you couldn’t become the servant God is calling you to be without the threads of your past being knitted into the Technicolor fabric of your future.

Still not convinced? Perhaps you’re thinking, “I’d take Peter and John’s Jewish heritage over mine any day!” Wonderful! Because in addition to your own, you have their heritage, too! Behold what Galatians 3:29 says about you: “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise” (hcsb). I love that Peter and John cherished their heritage.

2. Peter and John understood true religion. They were not so busy getting to prayer meeting that they missed the beggar at the gate. Don’t miss the significance of the location at the gate called Beautiful. Leave it to God to appoint a bitter reality in our “beautiful” scene. Try as we may to avoid the misery, misfortune, and injustice around us, they will find us, even in cities filled with gated, extravagant “planned communities” with walls around them to keep the niceties in and the unpleasantries out.

Peter and John could have glanced at the nearest sundial and said, “Oops! We’re almost late for prayer meeting. Beg on, brother!” Instead, Peter looked straight at the man as did John (Acts 3:4). Refreshing, isn’t it? I’m not much for looking suffering and poverty straight in the face. I’ll face it, all right. But I like to look slightly to one side or the other. Not Peter and John. They looked straight at him and likewise demanded that he look straight at them.

3. Peter and John gave what they had. I love the words in the King James: “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6). God never asks us to give what we don’t have! Somehow I’m relieved by that assurance.

4. Peter took him by the hand and helped him up. Peter and John knew better than anyone that the power to heal the man came solely from the Holy Spirit. The man wasn’t healed because Peter took him by the hand and helped him up. To me, the tender representation here is that Peter offered the man a handful of faith to help him get to his feet. After all, this man had been crippled all his life. What reason did he have to believe he could be healed? All he thought he wanted was a little money. When the beggar grabbed on to Peter’s hand, he felt the strength in his grip. The confidence of his faith. In one clasp, Peter offered a handful of faith, and that was all the man needed to come to his feet.

Oh, Beloved, can you see him? Close your eyes and watch! Watch the beggar jump to his feet, his tin cup tumbling down the temple steps and the few measly coins spinning in the afternoon sunshine. Look at the expression on his face! Watch him dance on legs thin from atrophy. Look! Look straight at him! That’s him jumping and praising God through the temple courts. Laugh over the horrified expressions on pious faces. Look for the others in the crowd who are ecstatic with joy and decide to grab a handful of faith for themselves.

5. Peter and John took no credit for the miracle. After all, if man can do it, it really isn’t a miracle, now is it? Miracles are from God . . . for the likes of crippled man. Someone reading today has been begging God for trivial things like silver and gold when God wants to raise her to her feet to jump, dance, and praise Him. Why do we want God to help us stay like we are? Grab a handful of faith and be changed!