Begging for Blessing

You may have had a beggar at your door recently. My new neighbor asked me if he should expect any ‘trick or treaters’ invading our neighborhood. Probably not, I responded. We generally have sweets here for ourselves that I could give away to a beggar, I assured. But he thought it might be best to go out and buy some treats just in case.

My neighbor then left to buy some sweets so as to not disappoint some little child at his door expecting a blessing.

ACTS of Simon Peter

Building a New Synagogue of Simon – שִׁמְעוֹן

You may ask what my neighbor buying a treat to bless some little beggar at his door has to do with Peter and the Apostles as they enter into the gates and public courtyards of the Temple in Jerusalem.

I can think of more than one parallel to our 21st century walk as disciples of Jesus Christ.

So as we resume our journey with Simon Peter in Acts of the Apostles, don’t miss the Apostles’ hearts of graciousness accompanying the powerful signs of the Holy Spirit continuing to attract crowds to yet another sermon by Peter.

Acts of the Apostles

Luke’s account begins with a brief look back at his first account, the Gospel.

• To these [the Apostles] He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days.. – Acts 1:3a
• [The risen Christ Jesus had assured them] “..but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

The Apostle Simon Peter has already preached to the crowds:

• Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters (a group of about 120 people was there together) [in an upper room in Jerusalem]. – Acts 1:15b
• And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. – Acts 2:2
• .. they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with different [languages], as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out.. [Those in the crowds of Jerusalem were amazed and asked each other] And how is it that we each hear them in our own [dialect in] which we were born? – Acts 2:4,7,8 excerpt
• But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, [preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit from Old Testament scripture]:

And it shall be in the last days,’ God says,
‘That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;

Acts 2:14a, 17a – Simon Peter preaching to the crowds of Pentecost in Jerusalem from the prophet Joel

• [Simon tells the crowds: ] ..he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. It is this Jesus whom God raised up, a fact to which we are all witnesses. – Acts 2:32

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

What will be the next ACT of the Apostles Peter and John?

Christian Witness with an Everyday Beggar

Imagine it — this is no child at your door, a costumed beggar charming you out of some candy.

NO, these desperate men of no means were as familiar at the entrances and exits of the public places as defeated men by the highway having no place to go with temporary signs – beggars asking alms of ANY who might help the invisible poor.

Yet Luke reveals that this beggar must had friends. They carried him to the place of worship daily. Or perhaps these men were part of his family who relied on his help by generated mercy of others.

The crowds who passed him by knew who he was; NOT a child, but a man handicapped from birth. No fault of his, but what could they do?

And mostly, their alms on occasion made them feel a little better about their own charity to him.

Note: Peter and John do not simply give the man something (or look away from him and move on, but the Apostles engage this beggar in conversation of lasting consequence.

Peter and John had witnessed the power of Jesus’ compassion

Luke 10:

Eternal Life

25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

26 He said unto him, What is written in the law?

Jesus engages the man in conversation, meaningful conversation which the Lord illustrates with the now familiar to us parable of the Good Samaritan. (Remember, Judeans did not particularly like the Jews from Samaria and those from other distant states or regions.)

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers..

But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion.”

Gospel of Luke 10:30b,33 CSB + Jesus addressing the question: ‘Who is my neighbor?’

This man who was robbed on his journey to Jericho was no beggar. But Jesus points out that he certainly needs help.

Jesus asks, ‘Which of the the three helped the man;’ that is, ‘who was his neighbor’?

The Apostles knew both the parable and the accompanying miracles. Seventy-two disciples of Jesus had just worked many miracles when the lawyer had asked what to do to inherit eternal life.

Returning now to Peter and John headed to the temple for worship:

Peter’s ACT of compassion

Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms.

Acts of the Apostles 3:3 RSV

And Peter directed his gaze at him, with John, and said, “Look at us.”

The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money.

But Peter said, “I do not have silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you:

Acts of the Apostles 3:6a NASB20

Do you suppose the two-way conversation between the eyes of the lame beggar and Peter continues in intense anticipation here?

You are the beggar at the door and the man says ‘I have no money.’

Peter is a neighbor who has gone out of his way to give a sweet blessing to this poor man…

So many do little or just pass by.. YOU lay there HELPLESS still.. you, a poor lame beggar.

Yet Peter and John continue with their own intense and compassionate stares…

They ACT personally, as if the two are alone in their transaction..

Then the man who has NOT passed by you, helpless at the gate of the place of worship continues:

In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!”

The command of Peter: Acts 3:6b

Yet another sign of the Holy Spirit

With John at his side, as they had both been observers of Jesus healing a man like this lowered by friends into a room full of Jews listening to Jesus preach, Peter now reaches down to the man near the crowds before him:

And grasping him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened.

Act of Peter reaching down to a man lame from birth + Acts 3:7

Recalling Christ’s Authority to Heal

Luke 5:

Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s…

But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying,

“Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” ..

And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear; from now on you will be catching people.”

When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

This had been three years ago. Since then, Peter and John have seen MANY more miraculous things — unexplainable signs from God — ACTS of Jesus’ power and authority over men and creation.

• While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” And He reached out with His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately the leprosy left him.
• One day He was teaching, and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the Law sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing. And some men were carrying a man on a stretcher who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. But when they did not find any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus.

Simon Peter and John had witnessed the power of God through Jesus many times.

A Beggar Worshiping with the Apostles

And leaping up, he stood and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

And all the people saw him walking and praising God; and they recognized him as being the very one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg for charitable gifts, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Acts of the Apostles 3:8-10 NASB

The very sight of this crippled man everyone knew LEAPING UP must have taken away the breath of those who witnessed this great sign!

• REMEMBER the lame man lowered by his friends into a crowded room so that Jesus could heal him?
• What was it the Lord had said?

And seeing their faith, He said,

“Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” .. “I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher, and go home.”

Gospel of Luke 5:20, 24b NASB + Jesus commanding a Lame man to walk

Peter and John saw a beggar’s faith

And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.

Acts of the Apostles 3:11 Authorized Version

Friend, your sins are forgiven you, or at least they could be — IF only you would come to the Lord Jesus Christ.

For by our admitted failings, like Peter, we are all sinful men and sinful women.

In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!”

The command of Peter: Acts 3:6b

Won’t you walk on in witness in the name of Jesus Christ beside John and Simon Peter and the Apostles? For they were, after all, just sinners like you and like me.

ALL are beggars before the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will greet us at the gate.

---

NEXT: Simon Peter walks to Solomon's Portico to preach to the crowds