What if?
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.
I’ve been reading through Acts lately and this passage really made an impression on me over the Christmas season this year.
You know those guys on the street corner holding the cardboard signs that say something like, “Will work for food,” and the strange “panhandlers,” who are usually asking for your extra change as you walk through the busy downtown streets? I’m assuming the lame guy in this passage is somebody like those guys. I would even go as far to say that this lame guy’s disability was being exploited for financial gain considering the text reads that he was being carried to the gate to beg everyday. If you’re like me when you walk past those guys exploiting homelessness (in some circumstances, pseudo-homelsessness) on the street you think to yourself, “They’re just going to use the cash to feed their addiction.”
So, what if…
We paid enough attention to the Holy Spirit living inside of us and asked, “What is it that makes that person sit here day after day begging for money? Do they have some sort of addiction that they’re feeding? Are they disabled in some way? Or have they truly fallen on hard times and need some basic needs like food and shelter?” Then, if we actually believed and embodied the promise that we have the “same Spirit who rose Jesus from the dead living in us”– with full confidence we could say, “Get up!” By stepping into God’s story, we could allow Him to demonstrate His glory and give more than a gift of cash but a gift of healing! What better gift could be given to anyone? After all, don’t we celebrate Christmas because of a gift who came to restore?
Can you imagine the types of stories we’d be reading in the newspaper or seeing on the six o’clock news?
I don’t to claim to know how or when God wants to heal somebody of their addiction, defect, or circumstance. But what I do know is that He wants to showcase His glory! And why shouldn’t He? He is God! I want to have the kind of relationship with God that He shares things like this with me. I may never be the one who possesses the gift of healing–and I’m ok with that! Actually, I can tell you that God has never used me to heal somebody physically! But God has wired me in a way to do other things that glorify and build-up the Church.
What about you? Do you have the kind of relationship with God that He shares with you what He wants to do through you?
“We’ll sing the news of all Your grace / We’ll help the broken hearted praise / You’ll put Your glory on display / King of Heaven” -Charlie Hall
