Clinging to the Right Things?
In Acts 3, Peter and John are on their way to the temple at the hour of prayer. They come into contact with a man who has been lame since birth and who begs daily for his sustenance. When the man asks Peter and John for alms, they both look directly at him and Peter tells him to “Look at us” (verse 4). The miracle that follows is immediate and complete. When the man is told to “rise up and walk,” he goes beyond and leaps! In a recent Bible class, Don Blackwell made note that the tense of this verb in the original language implies that he just kept leaping! Don’s brother, a physical therapist, also made note that this man had never walked, and yet did not have to be taught or coached. The miracle is absolute.
What I want to examine at this moment is that command to “look at us” and some details that follow. If you look in verse 11, you find the previously lame man clinging to Peter and John. In the crowded hour of prayer at the temple, it makes me wonder if the command to “look at us” was so that the man knew who to keep in his sight. The question becomes why?
This man was well-known to people at the temple. He was daily brought to the temple to beg. Verse 10 tells us that the crowd recognized him and were amazed at his healing. Because he looked at Peter and John, he was clinging to them as the crowd rushed him to hear about what happened. As a result, Peter and John were able to preach Jesus to the crowd. The man was clinging to the humans who he thought healed him, but Peter and John immediately gave credit to the God of heaven who healed not only the man’s feet, but offered healing for all the people willing to listen to the lesson about His Son, Jesus. If you keep reading into chapter 4, you find that many of the people did believe and were healed from their sins.
Is it possible that Peter’s original command to “look at us,” was with the end in sight – glory to God. Afterall, that is the whole reason we exist! Now, take that a step further: If I tell someone to look at me, will the end result be to the glory of God?
“everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” Isaiah 43:7
Receive all our articles for free:
AUTHOR: Amber Tatum
