This morning I was reading the healing of the man by the Beautiful Gate in Acts 3:1-10.
There are so many great parts of this story, but here is something that I really love: he got more than he asked for.
You've heard that saying, "be careful what you ask for, you just might get it", right?
Well, this guy got it and then some!
Here he was, lame since birth, doing the only thing that he could do: beg.
He didn't have any other options. He relied on people to drop him off in front of the temple gate so that he could beg for money from the people headed into the temple. And the gate where he was dropped off is called "Beautiful".
That's a pretty striking picture. There was nothing "beautiful" about this man's situation, and I wonder if people found his presence off-putting from what was supposed to be a beautiful scene. Or, maybe they didnt even notice him.
I think we are pretty good at that.
So here he is, doing what he does every day. But today is gonna be different. It didn't seem that way when he woke up that morning. It sure didn't seem that way when he was being carried to his normal place to do his normal thing while all the normal people walked by him. He didn't know how different today was gonna be. He had no idea that today was gonna be a day where his life would change forever, and today would be a day that, thousands of years later, people would still be talking about him.
Peter and John come up into the scene about 3:00 in the afternoon. This was one of the routine times of prayers in the Temple. Let me just pause here and say that routine prayer times are a great routine to be in! I have talked to people that think that having set times for prayer is a bit rote and routine. They feel like they are scheduling time for God rather than being open to the surprising and unscheduled presence of the Holy Spirit. I think God works in our routines when we have focused them around Him.
So, as Peter and John approach this guy, laying there begging, does what he has been doing for years, he asks for money.
He asks for money...this is what he thinks he needs. And this is true. But here's the deal, he asks for what he thinks is enough, and God has something greater in store for him.
I wonder how many times we are asking for what we think we need, maybe even praying hesitantly for what we think is such a huge thing, and God has something so much bigger and better in store for us!
Peter says, "I don't have any silver or gold for you". Peter doesn't have any money to give away. How many days can you identify with that? But he doesn't just ignore the man. He is led by the Holy Spirit. And so he doesn't just keep walking into the Temple. He could have. He could have said, "We're on our way to church. We need to get there or else somebody might take our seat. We are on our way to do something important."
But instead Peter says, "I'll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus, get up and walk!"Now, realistically, this guy is probably a little confused.
After all, the thing that he thought he needed was money. And here is this broke guy telling him to get up and walk. If he could have gotten up and walked don't you think that he would have already done that??
"Then Peter took him by the hand"Today maybe there is somebody you need to take by the hand and help them take a step into this faith filled life. Or maybe you are lying there doing what you've always been doing waiting for somebody to take you by the hand.
Or maybe you are praying for what you think you need, and God has something even bigger and better in store.
Give what you have. God isn't asking you to give more than that, but to trust that what you have to offer is exactly what someone else needs right now.
Keep your routine, keep your focus and eyes on Jesus. And God will work in and through you. I believe this.
And in the name of Jesus, get up!
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