What I do have, I give to you

Don’t you just love Peter?

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer.

 And a man who had been unable to walk from birth was being carried, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order for him to beg for charitable gifts from those entering the temple grounds.

When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple grounds, he began asking to receive a charitable gift.  

But Peter, along with John, looked at him intently and said, “Look at us!”  

And he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 

But Peter said, “I do not have silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!” And grasping him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. -Acts 3:1-7

What’s going on in this story?

First, what do we know about the man who’s healed?

• He’s a beggar.
• He’s been unable to walk from birth.
• He’s set down at the Beautiful gate every day to beg.

This lame beggar is there every day. At the temple. Which means Jesus must have walked by him – and didn’t heal him. Why?

For a long time, I thought, “He had to wait, because it was ordained that Peter do it.” And while I still think that’s true since God knows the end from the beginning and he works things all together for good and yada, yada, yada, but there’s something else going on that’s uniquely Peter.

Look what happens when the beggar asks to be healed.

Still looking?

Yeah.

He never asks. Maybe that’s why Jesus didn’t heal him. But you know Jesus knew he would be healed when Peter got hold of him. And he probably got a good chuckle out of it.

So if the beggar didn’t ask, what happened?

Read it again. PETER REACHED DOWN AND HAULED THE GUY TO HIS FEET! Can you imagine? The beggar’s like, “I just wanted a drachma. What are you doing?”

It’s the most Peter move ever. Hey, dude, you’re getting healed. Like it or not. I’d love to see this on the heavenly DVR.

Imagine John’s reaction. You know how he loves to throw Peter under the bus: I beat him to the tomb. I got into the High Priest’s courtyard, but Peter got locked out. Peter had to ask me to ask Jesus a question at the Last Supper since I, the disciple Jesus loved, was leaning on him.

Just imagine how John would have related this encounter to the other disciples. “You should have seen the guy’s face! Peter just grabbed his arm and yanked. I’m surprised he didn’t pull the beggar’s arm out of the socket. Then he’d have had to do a second healing.”

I love how God uses each of our personalities and talents and quirks for his glory when we submit them to him.