A young boy was sitting on the porch having just returned from the hospital with a cast on his arm.  His buddy came up the walk and sat down on the porch.  “What’d ya do?” he asked, pointing at the cast.  “Didn’t you hear?” replied his friend.  “I broke my arm in two places.”  “Well, one thing’s for sure,” his buddy began.  “You’d better not go back to those two places ever again!”

In speaking to the lame man at the gate of the Temple, Peter draws the lame man’s attention upon himself and John with the instruction “Look on us”.  They are apostles of Jesus Christ.  They have been empowered by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.  As followers of Jesus, they are authorized to use the name of Jesus to lay hands on the sick and watch them recover.  The lame man does so “expecting to receive something from them.”  What he was initialing expecting was alms; what he eventually received was faith to walk.

Peter simply tells the man that his answer is not found in silver and gold, but in faith in Jesus of Nazareth.  Faith is necessary to change your perspective.  The world labels you a lame beggar.  That is all they see, so that is what you must always be.  Your lot in life is to beg for silver and gold.  It will be enough for you to receive alms and beg for more to just subsist and get by.  That is your lot in life, so the world thinks.

But God sees us not as the world see us, but as he created us. This man was created for more, for so much more. And his first step is a spiritual one, not a physical one.  For it is by faith that this man will rise up and walk.  It is the expression of trust believing in who Jesus of Nazareth is.  It is believing in the power that Jesus has authorized his followers to use in his name.

Then taking him by the hand, Peter lifted him up and immediately his feet an ankle bones received strength.   Complete healing took place because this man began to leap and jump.  And as he entered the Temple he began to praise God for the miracle.

Peter then began to preach to the people, explaining what had happened and who had done this great work.  It is none other than Jesus Christ–the one they crucified–who God the Father has raised from the dead.  Yes, this man walks, and leaps and praises God by the healing power of Jesus.

Well, you can just imagine what the Pharisees and Sadducees think about this.  “And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.” (Acts 4: 1-2)  This healing was difficult for those who do not believe that miracles exist.  How could they explain away what all the people saw. They thought killing Jesus would put an end to this kind of thing. This healing was once again challenging their foundation of religion.

But when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and the way in which they proclaimed the message of the gospel they were perplexed; these men were fishermen. They were unlearned and ignorant men. There is no way these men could come to this biblical understanding.  So they marveled at the words of Peter, and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. And spending time with Jesus is the very reason Peter and John were able to share their faith, why this man was able to grab onto their faith, and why this man leaped, jumped, and ran home praising God.

Just something to think about as you walk down the rabbit trail.