I can’t believe it! It really is all about location, location, location!
A beggar shows up at the temple, looking for a good spot to plead his case. This isn’t someone who is a con-artist, but rather a legitimate crippled person who cannot work. In his day there is no “welfare” or any other government program that will assist him. In fact, if it weren’t for his family, he likely wouldn’t be able to make it to the temple to beg. Where do you choose to sit? Probably wherever the most people with come through…and that would be the gate “Beautiful”. Most likely it is the “front door” to the temple, the doorway that only Israelites can walk through. (Gentiles must remain outside). Sitting outside this gate would afford him the largest crowds. (there are some who believe that the “Beautiful” gate was an interior door, separating the court of men from the court of women…that could be, but why beg there, when the larger crowd was outside?)
Peter and John aren’t looking for the beggar as the go to the temple. They didn’t wake up that morning saying to themselves “let’s go down to the temple, heal someone and draw a big crowd, and then witness to them”. They were going about their business of worshipping God in the way that they knew, when God’s plan was thrust upon them. A couple of things to note here: 1. We don’t always know what God is going to do. Sometimes He tells us in advance, and sometimes we find out along with everyone else. 2. There aren’t any coincidences or accidents with God. He is fully in control of every event, at every time, and He is never stumped by anything that happens.
Peter “looks intently” at the beggar as he is about to pass by him. His comment in verse 16 implies that this man had been sitting beside the temple gate for some time…everyone knew him. The first thing I find amazing is that Peter recognizes the man at all. I think this has to be from the Holy Spirit. We tend to “look past” things that are common. When something is always there, we almost don’t recognize it. Have you ever been driving a familiar route and realized that you had passed some well known landmark, and you don’t remember it? Our brain “looks past” what is common. In our lives, hurting and broken people are common. Problems are common. It’s easy to look past them. Cell phones are great, but in one way they have only added to the problem. We don’t even look intently at people who are sitting around the table with us. It’s not just people on the street who have become invisible, we don’t even see our friends and family anymore.
There is some good news. The Holy Spirit changes that within us. Perhaps the hallmark of the Christian is that they love, and love expresses itself in compassion for others. We quickly recognize the power of the Spirit in the healing of the man…and that is truly wonderful…but what about the work of the Spirit that preceded it? 1. the desire to go and worship 2. looking intently on the plight of another. Thank you Jesus for the opportunity and privilege to “look intently” upon others. Even when what we see is distressing, it is a privilege afforded us by the Holy Spirit.
We often want to see the attention grabbing, healing power of God without following the prompting of the Spirit beforehand.
Suddenly, Peter is looking intently at someone who he has walked past many times. Perhaps he has dropped a coin into his bucket before. Thankfully, Peter and John have no coins today. Note: Sometimes it’s a good thing that we don’t have any resources…that’s when we are motivated to ask God for His….which are infinitely better, anyway. If Peter had a few coins, would we have seen the miracle? The next time your pockets (and your wallet) are empty remember to thank God for it. You might be on your way to witnessing something truly life changing.
Praying for empty pockets and a full heart,
PR