Acts 3 - "When We Prayed for No One, No One Got Healed. When We Prayed for Everyone Some Got Healed!" - John Wimber
Key Verses for Today
Peter Heals a Lame Beggar
3 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.
Commentary
Yesterday Peter preached the Good News and called on people to
"Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, and you will be filled with the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Today as Peter, and his close friend John, are going to the temple when they meet a lame beggar. Note the fact that they are going to the temple shows that they are still adhering to the Jewish laws. But instead of blindly going to worship and ignoring the man in front of them, Peter stops and looks him in the eye. How many of us look beggars and homeless people in the eye. We are usually afraid of them or don't want to deal with them. Beggars in Jesus day were not afforded much help. Often the Jews assumed they had done something wrong to deserve their disability or that they might be defiled by them. But Jesus did not treat them like that.
The man is begging for money but Peter has something much better for him. He says,
"In the name of Jesus get up and walk."
And, then he takes him by the hand and helps him to get up. Peter expected that the lame man would be healed. He doesn't wait for him to be healed. Sure enough, instantly the man is healed! Then, he accompanied Peter and John to worship,. Why not! After all, he wanted to give God praise for what had just happened!. And it says he was praising God. He knew that God had healed him in the name of Jesus.
When the people attending worship that day saw him, they were amazed. Instead of scoffing at him or judging him, as he probably wasn't dressed very well, they were filled with wonder and amazment. After all, who could deny the miracle that had just happened in front of them. They knew this guy.
Read the rest of the chapter to see how Peter pivoted from this miracle to preach the gospel to the people who were assembled that day. He spoke the truth boldly that this man was healed in Jesus' name. He made it unmistakeably clear that it was Jesus' power that healed the man. Then he boldly told them that this is the same Jesus they handed over to be crucified. That took some courage and guts to preach that. Then, he preached a very similar message as he did the day before.
19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.
Application
1. How often do you recognize the people begging when you go to stores or other places where they hang out? Do we just give them a "couple of bucks" so we can go on our way? Do we ever look them in the eye and at least tell them that Jesus loves them?
Practical idea. Maybe you can carry a sack of groceries you could give them. We know that just giving them money might not be the best thing to do.
2. Do you believe if you prayed for someone like the Lame Beggar in Jesus' name that they could be healed? Remember Peter was an ordinary guy just like us, who had miserably failed to stand up for Jesus when Jesus needed him the most. But, also remember he was given the gift of the Holy Spirit, which gave him the power to do a healing miracle in Jesus' name.
Prayer
Jesus, give us the boldness of Peter when we come across people who are often discarded by society. Help us to see them as people made in God's image. Give us courage to pray for people in Jesus' name in the power of the Holy Spirit that they might healed! Amen.
You might ask what if they are not healed does that mean I don't have enough faith or didn't do it right?
I always quote John Wimber, the founder of the Vineyard Christian Assembly, when I am asked this question.
"When we pray for no one, no one got healed but when we prayed for everyone some got healed!"
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