Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. And a man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, "Look at us!" And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene -- walk!" And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. (Acts 3:1-9 NASB)
It's been a while since my last post. Vacation and the length of time it takes me to push through passages in the Christian Scriptures have limited my free time unfortunately. But that isn't all. Sometimes I just haven't been intentional in making the time. It's not impossible for me to make shorter entries as I work through a passage rather than only longer ones after I've completed it.
I wonder if I need to be more like the lame man in this account. There are a few things about his response to Peter and what happens to him that make me wonder about him. For instance, he gets up. Peter takes him by the hand, not the whole body. The man tries to stand. This attempt to stand works, but I wonder if it's his first time trying. Am I trying to "stand" in my spiritual life? Have I given up? Is "Peter" just on his way, it's the hour of prayer, and I'm in my routine, will I be ready to stand?
The other thing I note is his response. Sure he leaps up when Peter pulls his hand and his ankles and feet become strong, but he keeps leaping as he walks, praising God. So, when my Master reaches into my life and changes the thing I clearly can't, do I just then saunter off happy to be free of the "burden" or whatever? Where's the celebration? Where's the self-degrading celebration of praise to my Master? Or do I just not want to make a stir with my problem, and then not make a scene with my cure? So, God works in my life and I just keep the event to myself? Is that the purpose of my Master?
As I imagine this lame-from-birth beggar, something in this guy's life never came to terms with his lame feet. He was never able to accept it. But unlike so many who claim that attitude, I don't believe he stopped trying to fight it. He stood when Peter took his hand. He had been lame from birth, why would he know to do that? I suspect he'd been trying. Something in himself would not accept himself in that condition. So, when the day of his healing came, he was ready; his expectant hope was fulfilled.
I suppose if every lame beggar in Jerusalem were healed, then I could use this as a formula for healing and restoration, but they weren't. This was the Spirit of God in the life of this particular lame beggar. He was born this way so when this day came, his Maker would be glorified. So, while I can't form a "theology of healing" from this, what I can do is form a model of faith. The expectant hope of this man was fulfilled. Faith is built on such hope (Hebrews 11:1).
So, what's the faith model? The man tried when pulled. I know that much. I may not know what attempts he made before that moment, but I do know he tried when pulled. He was ready enough to leave his condition that he took the offered hand and used useless legs to rise. I can only surmise what sort of condition he was in, or what practices he had practiced leading up to this time. So, they're not the formula, the formula, the lesson, is in the inspired piece, the fact he stood when pulled.
The application from the lesson is that when my Master pulls me, I take hold that for which I have been taken hold of, and press on (Philippians 3:12-14). This was a temporal healing at a point in a man's life, but he was celebrating praising God. It was also a movement toward the heavenward call. When my Master pulls me, isn't He pulling me heavenward? Shouldn't I also leap and praise Him? He's pulling me, who am I to be pulled by the One forming stars? Why should I not stand? Why would I not be willing to rise? Legs, or heart, or mind, or hands, what of mine have I given up on? That is not acceptable, not when I have this clear example that I am being called heavenward by my Master. There is no excuse for giving up, it's never too hard, I am to rise when pulled, and leap and praise once raised. Pardon me while I stretch some creaky joints; it's not the age, it the lack of use...shame on me.
No comments:
Post a Comment