Relection on Acts 3

I have been thinking and meditating on this blog for for several months. It has been stewing and marinating since then and it has been quite troubling to me. Typically if I have something to blog about, I just go ahead and write. However, this one has not come to me easily but through blood, sweat and tears... okay, just the last two.

A few months back I heard a sermon using Acts 3:1-16 as the text. The title was "Made Strong By Faith." I came away from that message without the take away that was intended. The intention of the pastor was to encourage us to remember that people are made strong by faith in Jesus and by sharing their faith. Here is the text and I will give my comments after the scripture.

Acts 3:1-16
1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, 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? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

I read this and reflected on a well given sermon and still came out with a different conclusion. My conclusion is more geared towards the pain of submission. My heart breaks at the reading and hearing of this scripture excerpt. I see the truth that we are all called and have a purpose in Christ. Peter and John were just trying to go pray like usual. But God had other plans. I see that plans are interrupted. Peter and John stopped to interact with the lame man. The power to witness is much greater than the power to perform a ritual. Do we still feel that? We must not forget to tell THE story. Peter and John were keeping the main thing the main thing without being religions and thinking the main thing was inside the temple for their afternoon prayers. They chose to stop, knowing full well that they may be late or even miss it all together. This makes me ask very hard questions: what am I doing to advance the Gospel? Would I stop and offer Christ to someone in need? Would I put myself in the place of submission that I would hear Christ telling me to stop?

I have also thought a lot about what the people around this story thought. Peter, John and the lame man were all called into question. Being fully submitted to Christ makes you an outsider to the general public. Being Holy Spirit led makes you weird. The Holy Spirit is not always nice and neat by our standards. The Holy Spirit requires us to think outside the box. Do you think that it was in the lame man's mind that he could just get up? Christ gives us confidence in our identity. Peter knew who he was and whose he was and by that power told the lame man to have confidence and look at him. The lame man obeyed Peter's command to look at him and Peter responded to his obedience and confidence with the words that set loose his healing.

I have found it interesting that this man had sat beside the Gate Beautiful for years and the number of people who had walked by him day after day. These people, some ignored him, others dropped a few coins, but none took the time to know him. No one had offered him religion, let alone Christ or healing. And then Peter and John came... it is our responsibility to help those around us, because we might be the only one who is able to. This takes a position of submission and openness to who God is telling us to help up, and what He wants us to do. This submission is a choice and a hard one at that.

The pain of submission doesn't end with just the choice to die to self. Think of the pain that the lame man must have felt the first time standing to his feet. Muscles and bones that had never been used were now bearing the weight of a full grown man. And I think I am sore after two hours in the car... Submitting to God's will and God's way of doing things with stretch us in ways that we have not previously been stretched. Scripture says that as Peter helped him up, the lame man's feet and ankles were made strong. Sometimes our submission to God's healing touch requires us to reach out for help. The lame man needed Peter to stand. We often need a helping hand to get us through the healing God is bringing us through. The lame man never hesitated to take Peter's hand, he knew he needed help up. Why are we blind to the fact that we need help up?

The healed man leaps and dances and is ready to testify, but is met with a question instead. Peter and John are asked under what authority they have to heal. The of course name God as the power that healed the man. Peter and John replied by faith in His name... you can see and know that Jesus has given the man perfect health... This faith was worked out by submission to what the disciples of Jesus said. He submitted and looked up when Peter commanded. He submitted and got up and walked when Peter commanded and he was healed! Why are we surprised that submission brings healing and freedom? "By faith in his name... Jesus has given the man this perfect health." Do you have faith and submission to that Name?