Leap and Praise God
Acts 3:1-10
1. Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at that gate of the temple which is called Beautiful to ask alms of those who entered the temple. 3. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. 4. And Peter directed his gaze at him, with John, and said, "Look at us." 5. And he fixed his attention upon them, expecting to receive something from them. 6. But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7. And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8. And leaping up he stood and walked and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10. and recognized him as the one who sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
This morning is the first time I noticed verse 5: And he fixed his attention upon them, expecting to receive something from them. Peter and John looked directly at the cripple. They gave him their undivided attention—they acted as one person. The beggar expected a few coins, which is what he usually received from passers-by. Money or perhaps a kick or a shove when someone was having a bad day and needed to take it out on someone.
“I have not silver and gold, but I give you what I have.” Wow! We may think we know what we want, or what we need. But God has an even greater plan for us! He offers us riches beyond our imagining! He offers us life with Him in heaven! We think we need a bigger house, and a newer car, and that our kids need to go to “the best” pre-school, and private school, and are in all “the right” sports leagues. We think we need that promotion, and more money and more prestige. Are we ever satisfied? Aren’t we forever looking around the next corner, wondering what we’re missing out on? Don’t we long for more, no matter how much we have?
That’s what Jesus offers us. More. Actually—everything. Everything we need, now tomorrow, forever. He wants us to be unburdened by the wants and needs of this world. He wants to take us by the right hand and raise us up. He wants us to leap and praise God! He wants our undivided attention, too—because he offers us his. He wants us to look to him alone—the way the truth and the life.
When we turn our lives over to Christ, we are also made immediately strong. Strong in our conviction to live rightly. We don’t rely upon the opinions of our neighbors. We seek out godly friends. We set our priorities with a new set of criteria. We examine our lives through kingdom eyes. What do I need to accomplish in this life, to earn eternal life with Christ? That’s the only question we ever need to ask ourselves once we’re saved. Our lives become 100 times less complicated and simultaneously 100 times more difficult.
It’s hard to live by a higher standard. I wonder what the beggar did for his livelihood after he was healed? Had he ever learned a skill? I guess his only recourse was to become a disciple, like Peter and John. I imagine that in his healing, he was unafraid to declare the Good News to everyone who would listen! After that miraculous healing, he knew he only needed to rely upon Jesus for his life—for his living.
I hope today that you will seek not the silver and gold of this world, but the thing of true value that Christ offers us. And that you’ll leap and praise God in the presence of all you meet.
Mary
