Encountering the Lame at the Gate

Notes from Monday, April 12, 2010
Speaker: Tim Butler

Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.  Acts 3:1-3

The Companions
Apparently, Peter and John didn't hang out together that much.  In the Bible, Peter is usually with Andrew, and John with James.  They're unusual companions because they had completely different temperaments.  Peter is "vocal"; John is "quiet".  Peter is a "doer"; John is a "dreamer".  Peter is a "motivator"; John is a "mystic".

The love of Jesus Christ had a unifying effect on these different men, so much so that they were coming to the temple together to pray.  They were planning to agree together in prayer before the throne of God.  Likewise, a love for Christ should unify even the most different personalities in a congregation to agree in prayer.

The Cripple
The man had been lame from birth.  He had a birth defect that rendered him helpless and hopeless.  He had no way of helping himself, except to beg.

The lame man is a picture of every one of us, born with the birth defect of sin.  Helpless and hopeless, with no way of helping ourselves, except to beg.

The Contrast
Beside the wealth of a nation, his woe
Beside the loveliness of the Beautiful Gate, his lameness
Beside a place of blessing, his hopelessness

The lost are in our midst everyday, lame at the gate.  Do we race right past them in our determined pursuit of wealth?  Are we blinded to their lameness by our adoration of lovely material things?  Have we become so comfortable in our blessings that we can no even longer comprehend or empathize with their hopelessness?  May God help me to understand that the lame at the gate are my persistent responsibility.

The Confrontation
"Look on us."  
Very bold.

"Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee". 
The cure to his lameness was not money or government assistance.  The cure to his lameness was the Lord Jesus Christ.

"And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up."
Peter didn't heal him from a distance; he took him by the hand, as a friend.  In the same way, we must follow Christ's model - we must get personally involved in the lives and troubles of others in the spirit of friendship.

Perhaps I should be praying every day
"Lord, help me see the lame at the gate. 
Help me stop and offer the true cure for their lameness - Jesus Christ."