It's been a month or so since I've posted anything, but this is a subject for which I feel a lot of passion, so I thought I'd share it.
Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
The Temple and the Hebrew
There are several significant items at the beginning of Acts 3. The first thing that I notice is that Peter and John were on they’re way to the Temple first thing in the morning. The next thing that comes to my attention is the lame man who had been carried to the gate of the Temple to beg for alms. Something that comes to my attention from a layer or two deep is the the fact that both the Apostle's frequenting the Temple and the lame man being carried to the vicinity of the Temple were apparently common occurrences. In fact, there's a good chance that Peter and John had seen this same man on previous Temple trips.
The Temple was an integral aspect of the daily life of the 1st Century Hebrews. The Temple represented the central theme of the Hebrew lifestyle. This lifestyle was not a religion, rather an entire existence. The Temple was where you talked to GOD, where you worshiped GOD; and GOD was everything to you. The Temple was also located in the center of the city, and all daily activity moved in and around it.
This placement of the Temple within the layout of the city, and the high importance of GOD in the lives of the Hebrews, insured a GOD-thought in their minds on a regular basis. If they went to the market, they had to pass by the Temple. If they were going to visit a friend on the other side of town, they had to pass the Temple. If they were going on a journey outside of the city, they had to first pass the Temple on the way to the gate of the city.
This bring to my mind several questions. How important is the house of GOD to the Community today? Have we forsaken the assembling of ourselves together for matters of convenience? Is work and responsibility more important than daily communion with GOD and the people of GOD? Sure, I'm aware that the church building is by no means the only place to interact with GOD and/or His people, but this great significance to our designating a place of communal worship, and to a place where GOD places His name (do the study, it's fun).
The lame man was taken to the gate of the Temple for a reason. He knew that he had the best chance of receiving in the place where people were congregating and passing through. He was not there by accident nor happenstance. He had gone to the Temple seeking (hang on to this thought, we're coming back here in a bit).
There is great significance in the words that Peter said to the lame man in verse 4. Peter knew the lame man was looking for something to help him out. He also knew that the lame man was looking for money; money which Peter didn’t have. Understanding all of this, why then would Peter say: Look on us?
Is it possible that Peter’s words are a foreshadowing of Paul’s teaching to the Community at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 3, 6 and 2 Corinthians 6? In this Text Paul tells us that our bodies are the Temple of God (1 Cor 3:16, 17 and 6:19). He also teaches that as the Temple of God we have no agreement or interaction with the idols of this world (2 Cor 6:16).
When Peter said, Look on us, he was telling the lame man, you don’t have to look at this Temple of stone anymore to find the answers; instead, look to the people of God, because the Answer lives inside of us. Peter was not only giving instruction to the lame man, he was also giving instruction to the modern-day Church. The Answer this world is looking for is not found in our buildings nor our monuments, but in our lives, but the world will only find the Answer in us when we place God and the things of God at the center of our entire existence. When our world looks to us they won’t see us, but they will see God through us (Matt 5:14-16). Like John the Baptist said, He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30).
And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
The Expectation & the Answer
It’s important to note that the lame man looked to Peter and John expecting to receive something. Our world is like this lame man; they need something, anything to get through the hell that their lives have become. The world is looking to GOD's Community expecting us to give them an answer.
What are we showing them?
When Peter made the statement, look on us, the lame man’s focus was taken off of the man-made Temple and centered on the GOD-filled Temple. Peter’s statement of identity impacted the man who had a need. When we say to the world, we are the people of God, we are telling them to stop looking everywhere else for the answers.
Are we prepared to give the Answer?
The lame man was not asking to be healed; he simply wanted something to help him get through that day. Peter gave him Someone Who got him through the rest of his life. The Community can’t help our world out with a fix, but we can show them Someone Who can change their lives forever. Peter and John gave us the example of what we should show the world: they showed the lame man a Big Jesus.
But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
The Big Jesus
Jesus did not come to the world to do a small work. We make a mistake when we trivialize the life-work of Jesus into something as simple as strictly salvation. While it was the primary purpose of Jesus Messiah, salvation was only one aspect of His Mission. Peter shows us in verse 21 that not only did Messiah come to seek and to save, but he also came to restore all things. What is this restoration that Peter is referring to? What is the significance of this restoration in my life, and your life, and the lives of everyone around us? What is Jesus really talking about when He says, I have come that you might have life, and this life I give is more abundant than anything that you’ve ever imagined (John 10:10)?
To understand this mystery we have to think Hebrew. Peter was referencing an ancient Hebrew teaching that had been passed down from generation to generation. The teaching was that at the advent of the Messiah all things would be restored to YHWH's original creation: harmony with YHWH. The Hebrews believed that Messiah would bring this restoration by establishing an earthly kingdom that would bring all creation back into perfect harmony with GOD: or what they called Eternal Life.
We have to remember that GOD never intended for man to be separated from Him. Since the fall of man, GOD has desired for man to be restored back into this harmony. Salvation is the first step in this restoration. Peter reiterates this point in 2 Peter 1:5-9. The faith is the first step toward salvation, but we can’t stop there; the process of restoration is a journey that brings each one of us individually back into perfect harmony with GOD. Deliverance from sin is only part one of the Answer. The Answer continues with complete and total restoration to GOD.
The world in which we live has been sold salvation by every religion and philosophy out there. They are asking for more than just religion. They want something more than just safety, they need something that will bring them back into harmony with GOD. We are not called to shine our world a small Jesus that can only touch their lives spiritually; we are called to shine them a Big Jesus that can restore every part of their existence. When we reduce Jesus to simply a religious answer, we are reducing His impact in both our lives and the lives of everyone in the world. The Answer of Jesus is not a small answer. Jesus is the Answer to every part of life.
As the Body of Messiah, are we shining our world a Jesus of religion, or are we shining them a Jesus of reality?
Are we showing the world a small Jesus, or are we showing the world a Big Jesus?
