Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Text- Acts 3: 1-10
One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. 2And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. 3When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. 4Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, ‘Look at us.’ 5And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6But Peter said, ‘I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.’ 7And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
TODAY’S REFLECTIONS
I am a firm believer in the importance of being generous with our financial resources- what God has given us but. . . .today reminds me that “hands on involvement” can offer others the healing presence of God.
The man lying at the gate was asking for money. Perhaps he thought that was all he could get from others. What he gets from Peter and John is focused attention. They ignore everything else and pay careful attention to his needs. They look him in the eye. They are interested in him. They reach out to offer him help and care and support. And . . .their focused attention provides much more than he ever expected.
To take this home and apply to our daily lives- “who is sitting right in front of us” in need? Who could we give some extra attention to that might be lifted up if we simply gave them some focused care and support? Maybe we could take someone out for coffee or stop at the next cubicle or reach across the hedge and inquire about another. Whatever we come up with, we must take note that Peter and John had the courage to take the initiative and reach out. When we can reach out as they did, we indeed can offer others inner healing. When we do that, they may just end up “leaping for joy” just as the man in the story today!
Blessings.
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