Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
Have you ever noticed in life that, what we at first think we need, really turns out to be on the rejected options list. That is because ‘needs’ are such changeable things. Ask any young person about what they ‘need’, and you will get a constantly changing list. And many adults have never grown up in this area. Take a look at the ‘toys’ that collect in our houses, backyards, and storage units. Do I need to say any more?
Do you know why our desires so often pull us away from the will of God? I don’t, but I can guess. Since the beginning of humanity, there has been a split between our desires and the will of God. Too often in Scripture we see an individual’s desires pull them away from God’s best. And so it is today.
Imagine being a cripple, unable to walk. You can pull yourself around on the floor, but without a wheelchair, you are confined to a very limited space. It is only with the help of others that you are able to expand your world.
We have this picture carried out in our text. Peter has begun his ministry of extending the Kingdom of God through preaching and teaching. At this point thousands of people have come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and that he died and rose again from the grave. The power of God has descended and Peter is a vessel through whom the Holy Spirit is working.
But some things about Peter’s life have not changed. He still wants to pray in the afternoon, so he heads to the place of prayer. But along the way, his schedule is interrupted. His desire gets put on hold.
There is a crippled man who desires what he thinks he needs, more money. He is looking for a handout. And there are many godly people in that day who would give money to the poor as a way to show their love and obedience to the LORD. So he finds a good place where opportunity meets opportunity met.
He has probably been placed at the same spot for years, so he knows the routine. He sits on his blanket, holds up his cardboard sign, and begins asking those who pass by for some help.
But today is different, not because he is different, but because Peter and John are heading up to the Temple to pray. They have been empowered by the Holy Spirit, and they have been prompted by that same Spirit to do and say things in the previous days that they never thought possible. That is what is different about this day. The beggar is the same, but the Spirit is present in Peter and John.
The man is going through his routine, the one that has kept him fed, clothed and sheltered for an unspecified amount of time. But then Peter catches his eyes and the encounter begins. The man expects a coin or two to be dropped. That is what always happens when someone gives him that look.
But today isn’t like other days because the Holy Spirit is moving and prompting Peter and John in a different direction. Instead of money, what the man wanted, Peter, through the work of the Holy Spirit, gives him what he needs.
And this different solution, this true meeting of his needs, turns his world upside down. But it isn’t like the $1000 tip left on a bill at the restaurant. This restores a man to health. This is a permanent change in the right direction. That $1000 tip goes away in a matter of days, this man’s healing stayed with him for the rest of his life.
So do you want a temporary fix or a permanent solution? Too often what we think as a fix is only a temporary fix. Jesus offers solutions.
The Arnold Journey 