Friday, October 10th

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Friday, October 10

Acts 3:1-21

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us." And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's. And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name--by faith in his name--has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. "And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

When we watch a movie, attend a play, or read a compelling story, most of us will tend to identify with one of the main characters in the story. In fact a good movie or book will be written intentionally to draw us into the story. And quite often we will identify with the protagonist, or the hero of the story.

When I watch the “Rocky” movies I want to be Rocky and not the other guy!

Here we have a story with two main characters; a man lame from birth and Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ.

The lame man has no name in the story. He is portrayed as sitting day after day near the gate of the Temple and begging for hand-outs. He is a pitiful and helpless creature.

Peter is the bold and fearless apostle who has seen the risen Jesus, been filled with the Holy Spirit, and has the faith to say to a lame man, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!"

Given our choice, of course, most of us would rather identify with Peter than the beggar. We would rather be the one offering help than the one receiving help.

But the truth is we must receive the gift before we can offer the gift. We must be the beggar before we become the apostle.

When a huge crowd has gathered trying to see what’s going on, Peter seizes the opportunity. He preaches,

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord...

In other words, he is telling the onlookers that they are each beggars in need of God’s great gift of forgiveness; a gift found only in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

To “repent” means to “turn around.” Here Peter urges his listeners to turn from sin, to turn from everything they have depended on to make themselves righteous before God, and to turn to Jesus.

Peter is telling them, and us, that no matter how good and religious we are or have been, we are all beggars before the grace of God.

Thanks to that very same grace, we only have to ask once to receive!

Pastor Brian Coffey