(Acts 3:1~8)

Today, we see a man lame since his birth. As usual, he was carried by other people to the gate of the temple to beg people for money to sustain his own life. But on this day, an event happened to him, and the awful event changed his life completely. Today we are going to be looking into what the man asked and what event happened to him

In verse 1~2, “Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple.” On this day, the Apostle Peter and John were coming to the temple to preach the gospel and the man was asking alms of people passing by at the temple gate called the Beautiful Gate. Here, ‘the ninth hour’ is equivalent to 3 pm today, which was the most crowded time at that time. So, it was the best time for both Peter and John who intended to preach the gospel to as many people as possible, and the man who wanted to get money from as many people as possible. In verse 3~5, “Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, ‘Look at us.’ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.” The man might have been glad to see the two apostles because Christians then, especially apostles, were eager to relieve the needy, so he eagerly asked alms of them. Begging for money was the only thing that he had on his mind. He had no choice. It was his limitation. In some way, it was natural. At that time, in the region of Palestine, men who were born with a disability were considered as being punished by gods, so they were almost not treated as a man. He was fully satisfied with just enough money to sustain one day. Begging people for some money for his life was all that he could think and do for his life. He couldn’t imagine even a little better life than that because he was lame and he was fully satisfied with some money to sustain his life day by day. It was the best conceivable life for him. Then what was the apostles’ reaction?

In verse 6, “But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” Although the man really wanted silver and gold, the apostle replied this “I have no silver and gold” saying “Look at us” Did they really have no money? This statement of the apostle does not mean that he actually doesn’t have any money. The apostles didn’t want to just provide the man with some money only for one day. But, the apostles didn’t want to satisfy him just within the man’s limitation of thought and conception. It is because the apostles knew very well the fact that the gospel of Christianity given to mankind is not only for human beings’ better life and peace of mind but also for the solution of the ultimate matter that humans cannot solve by themselves. This gospel of Christianity has been given to human beings who have shiftlessly died out before the power of death, or sin’s power. This gospel of Christianity has been given to human beings who have been asking just their present needs pitifully grasping the name of ‘religion.’ Let’s pay attention to the tremendous proclamation in verse 6, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” To ‘rise up and walk’ was the most needed thing for him. In fact, the most needed thing for him was not silver and gold but was to ‘rise up and walk’. But to rise and walk was the most impossible and unimaginable thing for him at the same time. And this amazing command was given in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. What this command of the apostles means is that even though you think that you need silver and gold above all things, in fact the most needed thing right now for you is to rise and walk, and we can substantialize it “in the very name of Jesus Christ.” The gospel, the power of God’s word, will give you the most ultimate, effective, necessary, and everlasting thing. The very thing that you know most necessarily but you are quite at a loss of what to do about, the gospel will give you and accomplish it for you, overcoming the death and the victorious life as the result of accepting gospel. What is the result of it? In verse 7~8, “And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.” As soon as the power of the gospel in the name of Jesus Christ reached the man, the man stood up ‘immediately’. The author of Acts, Luke, a former doctor, uses medical jargons to describe this amazing scene: ‘baseis(feet)’ and ‘sphidra(ankle).’ In other words, the man’s feet and ankles were made strong ‘in reality.’ The man began to walk. The man who used to be sitting just at the gate of the temple in his past life, entered the temple with the apostles, and walked and leaped inside the temple and praised God who gave the strength to his feet and ankles.

The man was sitting outside the temple just wanting some money for his everyday life by a favor of religion. But the gospel of Christianity struck him and changed his whole life at the same time changing his mindset. He is no longer the man who shiftlessly waits for help aside from the power from God. Now, after the power of the gospel struck, he can lead his real life with his own power given feet and ankles from God. Not only that, he realizes now who gave him this new identity and new power. While human beings have been seeking silver and gold for their lives, well-being, including physical and mental aspects in the name of religion, philosophy, and education on the premise of death, the gospel of Christianity takes its chosen people by the hand and gives the power to their spiritual feet and ankles to overcome the death and enjoy their lives guaranteeing everlasting life in heaven.

Everyone, don’t be sitting there at the gate of the temple just wanting stable factors like money and high salary position and so on for your daily life due to the benefit of religion. See the power given to your feet and ankles from God in the name of Jesus Christ and stand up. Don’t be sitting there at the gate of the temple anymore, but come in the midst of the temple of God. Recognize the amazing fact that all your sins, or spiritual lame, can be completely healed. Don’t forget the crucial fact that what can determine the silver and gold matter of your life is not through asking at the gate of the temple under the name of religion, but the very power given to your spiritual feet and ankles through the gospel in the name of Jesus Christ. Come inside the temple and walk and leap and praise God like the man. Remember that “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). You Christian people are the final winners, the conquerors at the end of this history, as the promise of the Bible. Don’t be puzzled in this world, but distinctly remember the suggestion of the gospel of Christianity and the promise of God. Therefore, don’t use Christianity as a religion for your present life focusing on only earthly and finite things under death. Instead, see and realize the power of the gospel given to its people enough to win both death and gold. Don’t be sitting there like that helplessly and shiftlessly. Rise up and walk, you Christian people! Ask God what your vocational calling is in history, you should ask this seriously, honestly, constantly, and in person. Ask God what you should do for people and the world that are under the control of God as one of Christians in history. And don’t work only for your silver and gold at the gate of the temple, but work for the people and world in terms of God’s sake in the midst of the temple walking and leaping and praising God with the power of the gospel given to you. I really hope you realize your vocational calling and do it well, not through just asking for silver and gold but through the power given to your spiritual feet and ankles from God.

Jesus Christ of the gospel not only puts us right with God, He also puts us right. He gives us a new nature, He gives us a new life. The gospel of Jesus Christ, I say again, is not an appeal to us to adopt a new moral, ethical code. The gospel offers a new life, we can be born again, and we can receive a new nature. This leads to a new outlook and to our being filled with new desires, we no longer desire the things we used to, and we desire things that are good. Beyond that it gives us power and strength to overcome; it enables us to defeat old enemies that have got us down through the long years of the past. It enables us to smile at foes, and to be more than conquerors in spite of them.

The gospel puts me right with God, it puts me right, and above all He, Christ, satisfies my every need. He never fails, He never changes. Whatever I may need in this life Christ can give me, and He won’t leave me in the hour of death. Look at these other things, death robs us of them, every one. Pleasure does not help you, philosophy does not help you. You see a dear one suddenly taken from you. What is the value of money and art and music and all other noble and excellent things? They do not help you when your heart is bleeding and when you seem to have lost everything in life and in this world. They have nothing to give you; but Christ is with us in life and He will be with us in death, He will be with us through the countless ages of eternity. There He is in terrible situation like the situation that the man was. He comes to meet you. He has entered into the world and He offers to give you today everything you need: rest, peace, satisfaction, happiness, joy, power and a hope that can never fade away. Everyone who has ever met Him in some way or another is just singing a triumphal, victory song. All who have ever come to Him and tried Him have ever found in Him full, complete, and final satisfaction.