Acts 3:1-10 New International Version (NIV)
3 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
The apostles were given the ability to heal people through the power of God. And had performed “acts” that awed the people of that time. (2:43). Here, Luke describes the “act” of healing a lame man. Many people saw this miracle.
The apostles had a new faith. But they remained loyal Jews. So, they went to pray together in the Temple with other Jews. There were three special times when they prayed together. They prayed in the morning and they prayed at noon. And they also prayed in the afternoon.
Poor and sick people often waited at the entrance to a holy place. They asked for money there.(alms for the poor) This was a custom, people would be more generous when they were going to worship God.
The Beautiful Gate was one gate of the Temple. The Temple probably had 9 gates in total. Josephus, who was a writer in the first century, describes a beautiful bronze gate in the Temple. Perhaps this was the Beautiful Gate.
Peter was with John. This was probably the John who was Zebedee’s son (Luke 5:10). Peter stared at the lame man and told him to look at them. The man thought that they would give money to him. But Peter gave to him something much better. Peter cured him ‘in the name of Jesus Christ’. This meant that he cured the man by Christ’s power and authority.
Peter did not just watch the man. He helped the man to stand up. Peter had seen Jesus when Jesus held the hand of Jairus’s daughter (Luke 8:54). Like Jesus, Peter wanted to show that he cared. Peter wanted to encourage the man to walk by faith.
‘Immediately the man’s feet and ankles became strong.’ The man had never been able to walk. His legs were probably very weak. But they became strong immediately. Luke was a doctor. He carefully described everything that happened. The man walked and he jumped. This was a real miracle.
Verses 9-10 Again, Luke wrote that the man was walking. He wanted to emphasize that the man’s feet and legs were working for the first time ever. People recognized him as the man who had never been able to walk. They could not understand how he was able to walk at that time. They thought that this was impossible. But nothing is impossible for God.
Are you like the lame man sitting outside the temple gate, waiting for help and healing? Or are you like Peter and John being called to share God’s word and love to the lame waiting for hope?
No matter who you are God is the answer and Jesus is the way to all hope and healing.