1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. 2 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. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. 4 But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at us!” 5 And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 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!” Acts 3:1–6
The man in question was lame from birth. He needed to be physically taken to his place by the Beautiful gate to beg. He therefore required and depended on the assistance and alms of others. We’ve all seen the homeless by the road. They’re almost in a catonic state as they pace up and down the side of the road like a soldier on watch. They seem surprised when someone catches their attention to give them a few dollars. Similarly, this man was taken aback to hear Peter and John exclaim, “Look at us!” He then riveted his attention on them fully expecting charity in return, but the wealth Peter and John possessed did not consist of “silver and gold,” but of the riches and power of the risen Christ. It was his gift to them through his Spirit to be passed on to others for His glory.
While there is much to say about the exuberant response of this man to his healing, let’s not miss the lesson on true wealth. What more could we ever want then God’s Spirit within us? We can lose everything and still be rich beyond measure. We spend all our lives pursuing silver and gold. We should be looking for ways to lavishly spend the countless riches we already possess.
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