But did you know that God has already given you something so much better than physical healing? He’s given you spiritual healing. Maybe your back is always sore, and your arm doesn’t work like it’s supposed to. It doesn’t look like any of you are lame, but have you ever asked God for healing? Has he said yes to that prayer? Maybe not. But through those men, God gave me something much better he gave me the ability to walk! But that’s not all, as Peter made clear when he spoke to the crowd that gathered, God also had given me the faith to believe Peter’s words that when I got up, I would be able to walk! That’s all I thought I would get out of them. I had asked for a few coins from Peter and John. Here’s the first lesson from a lame man: God loves to give us more than we ask for. Can you picture it, a grown man galloping around in a public square? When’s the last time you’ve seen an adult jumping and running around one of your big stores? Has your pastor ever jumped up and clicked his heels together like this while preaching? It would be a funny sight! It was that easy - as if I had been doing that my whole life! Not only was I able to stand, I could walk, and could even jump! Before I knew it I was running around, jumping and laughing, praising God for what he had done. So with my arms, I pushed myself up onto my knees, and then put one foot forward, and stood up. I believed that when I tried, I would be able to stand on my feet although I had never done that before and I was about as old as your pastor. I couldn’t explain how at the time, but I believed Peter was telling the truth, and that this wasn’t some lame joke. In the name of Jesus, I say to you, get up and walk!” Peter went on to say with a twinkle in his eye: “I don’t have a nickel to my name, but what I have I will give you. Did he not have any money, I thought? Did he want to give me some food instead that was still in his pocket? I didn’t have to wait long to find out. But Peter wasn’t even holding out his hand to me. But Peter said in a strong voice that cut through the afternoon din: “Look at me!” I did look at him thinking he had a full handful of change he wanted to give me. As always I bowed my head and held out my hand hoping for some spare change as they walked by. Two of Jesus’ disciples, Peter and John were entering the temple to worship. Well it was there that my life changed one afternoon. Thankfully I lived in Jerusalem where there were a lot of people willing to throw a few coins my way, especially when I sat outside the temple gates. I also felt embarrassed to be so dependent on others.īecause of my inability to walk, I couldn’t work so I begged for a living. That wasn’t so bad when I was a little child, but when I became a teenager I was heavier and harder to carry around. When I needed to use the washroom, someone had to carry me. When I wanted to come inside and eat, someone had to carry me. If I wanted to go outside for a breath of fresh air, someone had to carry me. In my day, however, the lame had to be carried everywhere. I see that at least nowadays the lame have chairs with wheels that can help them get around. Listen to my experience, and learn some important lessons from a lame man. I’m the guy you heard about in the first Scripture lesson this morning - the beggar the Apostle Peter healed at the temple gates. What I mean is do you know what it’s like to have feet and legs that don’t work? I do. Do you know what it’s like to be lame? No, I don’t mean do your jokes fall flat from time to time, or do you think a night out with your spouse means a trip to the grocery store together.
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