4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” – 3:4
Lame Beggar
As Peter and John were going up to the temple for the hour of prayer, they encountered a lame man. It was this man’s practice to lay at the temple gate (Beautiful Gate) and beg for alms. On this particular day, he was being carried to his usual spot as Peter and John were approaching. Lame since birth, the lame man did what he had most likely done thousands of times before. He pleaded for mercy from his fellow man; his only apparent hope for survival. To the beggar, Peter and John probably appeared no different than any other men. Little could he have known the consequence of his humble request from them. But he had more in common with them than he ever could have known. What is true of this lame beggar was true of Peter and John, and it is true of you and I as well. Our infirmities are no match for the power of the Holy Spirit. Physical or spiritual.
Promised Power
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” – Acts 1:4-5
The lame beggar looked at Peter and John expecting money. Unable to walk, it is probable that he was unable to work and provide for himself and family if he had one. Try to imagine his feeling of helplessness. Dependent upon others to be carried from place to place. Dependent upon others for money once he was carried to the temple. After a day of begging, he would need to be carried home again. Day after day after day. No help, no hope. And then came Peter and John. Men once paralyzed by fear now filled with the Holy Spirit. Fishermen now transformed into fishers of men.
The lame man’s request was met by a command, “Look at us”. Peter and John had no silver or gold. They did not possess what the lame man begged for. They possessed so much more. They possessed the promise of the Father; the power from on high. Peter’s command to look was followed by another, “rise up and walk!”. Peter then extended his hand to the lame man and helped him to his feet. His weak and atrophied feet and ankles were immediately made strong. The lame man was healed. Try to imagine his joy as he walked and leaped. For the first time in his life, he had the use of his legs. No more would he need to lay at the temple gate. No more would he have to depend on others to carry him. Instead, he walked into the temple with Peter and John, praising God as he leaped. Three men forever changed by the power of the Holy Spirit. What an hour of prayer they must have experienced together.
Greater Works
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. – John 14:12
The birth of the church at Pentecost has forever changed the world. We read the book of Acts and we see ordinary, uneducated men radically changing the world. Men whose lives were changed because they had been with Jesus. Once common men now boldly performing miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit. No longer living in fear of persecution, they can say to the world, “look at us”. No silver. No gold. No shame. I realize the Book of Act is a transitional book, but I can’t help but look at the early church and the power of the Holy Spirit so incredibly manifested and ask, “where have I/we gone wrong?”.
Plugged In?
I remember reading a story years ago of a young boy who came home from church all excited one Sunday. Caught up in his excitement, his parents asked him to pray for their lunch. As he prayed, the young boy innocently said, “Dear God, we had a great day at church today. Too bad you were not there.” Is his prayer a true reflection of most churches in the West today? Is it true of most lives of professing Christians? The question has been posed, “If God were to remove His Spirit, how many church services would go on just the same and not miss a beat?”. We could ask the same of ourselves as individuals. We plan out our lives. Our days are structured in such a way that from waking to sleeping we are dependent upon no one but ourselves. I realize that God is a God of order and not chaos, but James also warns us against presumption. It is okay to make plans but we must not forget to consult God first. We must be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. We must not rely on our talents, abilities or wisdom alone. We can’t be so busy counting our “silver and gold” that we are unaware of the lame laying outside our doors.
Look at us!!
Do we recognize the power we possess? Do we believe we can do “greater works”? Are we more concerned with silver and gold than the Spirit? Have we forgotten what the Spirit has done for us? In short, do we grieve the Holy Spirit? We can’t help the spiritually lame in our own strength. Our silver and gold will never save a soul. We are surrounded by lame, helpless beggars. Again I ask, do we recognize the power within us? The Spirit of love. The Spirit of boldness. The Spirit that gives us the confidence to gaze at the world and say, “look at us”. We possess the Helper. We possess their hope. God has saved us to make us fishers of men. He wants to see the spiritually lame transformed into worshippers, leaping into the temple with praise on their lips.
I am certainly no expert on the Person of the Holy Spirit, but I believe in His efficacious work. If my Christian life or the life of the church seems weak and ineffective, the fault does not lie with the Holy Spirit. I look at the church and like so many saints throughout history, long for a revival. The world will always be the world, but I cringe when the line between the church and the world is blurred. Somehow we need to get plugged back into our power source. We need to humble ourselves before God and surrender every aspect of our lives to His control. We need to admit our weaknesses and the worthlessness of our silver and gold. No one wants to see the power of the Spirit unleashed in the church more than God. It is His intention to set us as lamps on a hill in a dark world saying, “look at us”!
7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. – John 16:7-8