Acts 3, 4

Acts 3, 4

Overview:  Peter and John heal a man at a gate to the temple. Peter preaches. The Church grows and the folks share things.

Peter and John's actions show they've been paying attention to Jesus.  And by that I mean they've been paying attention to the fact that Jesus pays attention to people. When Peter and John encounter a man asking for assistance at the gate to the temple known as Beautiful, they listen to what he asks for and then they pay close attention to him to offer what he needs.  He asks for alms, it's what he's become accustomed to doing.  Peter and John say that they do not have any silver or gold to share - they could just let it drop at that point.  Instead their assessment of the situation leads them to believe that they have something else to offer - something more valuable - something the man needs - healing.  The man had been lame - the disciples help him to walk.  One take away for us is to remember to pay close attention both to what people ask for and to what God's Spirit leads us to believe they need.  Another is to ask ourselves what resources God has placed in our hands to help those in need.  Peter and John did not have financial resources at that moment - it did not stop them from helping.
Acts 4:20 also offers us a challenge as we pursue our own walk of faith.  "We cannot keep from speaking about what we have heard and seen."  Personal safety have become unimportant considerations for Peter and John.  What is primary for them is sharing what they have witnessed - sharing the life giving message of Jesus Christ.  Our personal safety is usually not going to be part of the equation - it's not out of the question, but our largerst concern is typically going to be our comfort level with talking about and sharing Jesus with others, as opposed to facing arrest or physical danger.  When God's life changing power is at work in our lives Peter and John's words will be our own, "we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard."