He did not know what he was going to get - thought it was money, I am sure - but his faith was quickened by Peter's words. This man expected to receive something from Peter and John. The reason is that this arouses a sense of expectation. He always captivated the attention of the individuals he wanted to heal, directed them to focus their gaze upon him. He never walked up to someone and merely touched him and healed him, without first directing his attention to himself. And the striking thing about this is that when he asked alms of Peter, Peter stopped, and said to him, 'Look at us.' This is very important, because it is right in line with the activities of Jesus whenever he wanted to heal anyone. Then God's program moves into gear, and things happen which could have happened at any earlier time but did not, for a special reason.Īt any rate, here was this man waiting at the gate of the temple. All of which indicates that God has his time for great events, and that until his time strikes, things go on pretty much as usual. Evidently he had been brought to the temple habitually for a long, long time, and Jesus must certainly have seen him as he passed into the temple. It has always been a puzzle to me why this man had not been healed by Jesus. As Peter and John were on their way into the temple they met this man who had been lame from birth.

But it also had special significance to the Christians, because it was the very hour on which Jesus had died on the cross, the hour when he cried in a loud voice, 'It is finished,' bowed his head, and gave up the ghost (John 19:30). It was the ninth hour, or three o'clock in the afternoon, which was the usual time of prayer for the Jews. So Peter and John were going up to the temple. God is patient and understanding with his people, and he knows that we need to learn slowly. Later on these Christians had to leave the temple, but there was no immediate break. 'You are the temple of God.' (1 Corinthians 3:16), Paul writes, and God wants to meet you inside of you, where you live, down in the deepest part. The temple of stone was but a symbol of the real temple where God intends to meet man. Already these Christians were learning that God had designed a real temple. Later on, when the book of Hebrews is written, we find that these early Christians are exhorted to leave the temple, because the temple was no longer the significant meeting place of God with man. Evidently they still gathered in the temple court, where Jesus had customarily taught, and were meeting there for prayer and study together, for fellowship and the breaking of bread. It is interesting that Peter and John were still going to the temple in order to meet with the early Christians. As Peter and John went up to the temple, according to their custom, they found him there. You notice that this lame man was seated at the gate of the temple. Evidently Dr. Luke has selected this one from a number of miracles which occurred then, in order that it might teach us something very significant. And, in the days that followed, he says, 'many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.' We have no record of all the wonders and signs done in that opening period, but we do have this one - the story of the lame man who was healed at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. In Dr. Luke's summary of the life of the early church, he has told us in Chapter 2, Verse 43, that 'fear came upon every soul' after the events of Pentecost. And leaping up he stood and walked and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. But Peter said, 'I have no silver or gold, but I give you what I have in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.' And he took him by the right hand and raised him up and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And Peter directed his gaze at him, with John, and said, 'Look at us.' And he fixed his attention upon them, expecting to receive something from them. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at that gate of the temple which is called Beautiful to ask alms of those who entered the temple. Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

Age of wonders iii prayer for the hurt