Giving What You Have… Acts 3:1-10

¹Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. ²As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. ³When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money.

⁴Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” ⁵The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting a gift. ⁶But Peter said, “I don’t have any money for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”

⁷Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and anklebones were healed and strengthened. ⁸He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.

⁹All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. ¹⁰When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded!

A missionary, speaking of the need on the foreign fields, was to receive an offering to help out with the work. A man was sitting next to the aisle about halfway up. He had folded his arms and sat with a grim look, a scowl and a frown. He evidently didn't want to be there. Perhaps his wife had made him come. When the usher held the plate in front of him, he just shook his head. The usher jiggled the plate invitingly. Still the only response was the head shake. The usher leaned over and whispered, "It's for missions, you know." Still the scowl and a mumbled sentence, "I don't believe in 'em." This usher was a sharp man. He leaned down and said, "Then you take some out. It's for the heathen, anyway." Unknown.

Peter and John are on their way to the Temple on this particular day. Their plan is to get to the Temple in time for the 3:00 pm prayer service. Our text tells us that it is the 9^th hour of the day. As the Jews counted 12 hours in a day, their days started at 6 am. Therefore, it would be 3:00 pm, as they are going to the temple. At this point in the life of the new church, the apostles and others are faithful in attendance and worship at the Temple. It will be part of their spiritual experience until they are driven away from it.

As they go to the temple, a man who has been lame all his life…literally lame from the womb…as our text says, was being carried to the Temple area. Acts 4:22 tells us that the man has never walked during the forty years of his life. He was on some sort of litter and this was an every day occurrence for the man. He is placed by the gate called Beautiful every day so he can beg from the people passing by. This was customary for these people to place the man here. There were not supposed to be any beggars in Israel according to Deuteronomy 15:4, but you find beggar after beggar in Israel. Considering the spiritual condition of the Jews this ought not be too surprising.

Josephus in his writings says that this gate was taller than the other gates and that it was adorned with magnificent gold and silver plates. In the Talmud it is called Nicanor’s gate after its donor.

This gate was the only one that led from the court of the Gentiles surrounding the Sanctuary and the Temple buildings proper into the court of women and through this court to the court of men. While it would be a difficult thing carrying this man to the area of the Beautiful gate, it would be a very promising place in which to beg.

As he was being carried to his special place, and before he even arrived there, the man saw Peter and John. They were about to go into the Temple. While he was still on his litter, he began “requesting to receive alms.” The text reveals to us that he was making a respectful request for alms. Luke draws the picture quite well for us. It is the picture of a man with an outstretched arm this is anxious to take whatever might be offered.

Peter and John are about to go to the Temple to pray. But now they cannot go into the Temple to pray without doing some thing for this poor man’s needs. Obviously, people had been going to the temple to pray and literally stepping over this poor man. But on this day, Peter and John know that before they go to pray they have to meet this man’s needs.

Peter’s response is “Look at us!” Seeing the poor, pitiful cripple and his outstretched hand. It is quite likely that they have seen this man before. They may even have dropped a coin into his hand on occasion. It is obvious that they have not come to the temple to heal this man. That does not seem to be in their minds, as they are on their way to pray.

But upon seeing the crippled man on this day, the Lord put in their hearts to give him more than money. Healing the man is what the Lord put in their hearts on this day. So they give the man a command “Look at us!” The beggar is to pay close attention to the apostles.

And he does. “He began to give heed to them.” There does not seem to be any expectation other than receiving money in the man’s mind. There is no indication of any faith to be healed prior to the miracle that unfolds here.

Peter tells the man: “Silver and gold is not mine; but what I have I give to you. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, be walking!” And Peter having grasped the man by the right hand, raised him up, and instantly his feet and ankles were made firm, healed.

The man leaped up, stood there and began walking!

Giving what you have is important as we begin making some kind of application to our own lives here. Peter refers to silver and gold. Those were the most valuable coins and the man was obviously expecting something special from them. Peter says to the man, “I have no wealth.” But I will give you what I have. What he had to give the man was the gift of healing.

Think of the gifts you have to give someone. You are gifted with special spiritual abilites and spiritual gifts. Someone needs to be blessed by your giving. Give what you have. If you have money, and someone has a monetary need, give them money. When you don’t have any or when someone needs something other than money, give them what God has give you to give away. That will be your gift to them from the Lord.

Without a word of explanation, without doing anything to awaken or increase the faith of this man, Peter speaks the command that conveys its own power: “In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth…” It does not mean “by the authority of”. No, it is used here ‘in connection with the revelation of Jesus.” (Lenski, Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles, p. 128). What is in view here is a vital connection with Jesus Christ and His name is the source of all blessings and this healing flows from the blessing of that Name.

The command “Be walking!” expresses enduring action. What that means is that he is to have the power of walking now and always. There are no “ifs” or “buts” and no slow process of healing. It is here and now that the man is to be walking. And he does walk even though he has never walked in his life. And he goes from walking to leaping and jumping and praising God for the gift given. Peter does not have to expend much energy to get the man up. He does it by himself.

And the man’s first walk takes him into the Temple!

And as he went in, people recognized him as the beggar by the Beautiful gate. And when they saw him walking, they praised God for the great miracle that had been done. And he would not let go of Peter and John.

The Lord had timed this miracle so that it would be seen by all those who were in the Temple and so that it would attract an audience for Peter to preach to. The ultimate end was so that God might be glorified and people might come to know Him through Jesus Christ.

All of this took place because Peter and John together gave what they had to give this man. The miracle was the seal given to the gospel message Peter was going to preach. And Peter launches his gospel message with the question: “Why are you looking at us? We did not do anything special. It was Jesus Christ, whom you crucified, who did this for this man.

Peter simply says, we were simply the instrtument in the hands of Jesus to bless this man.

What do you have to give? Perhaps more than you think: Let me share with you What the wealthy think about money:

I have made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness--John W. Rockefeller.

The care of $200,000,000 is enough to kill anyone. There is no pleasure in it--W.H. Vanderbilt.

I am the most miserable man on earth--John Jacob Astor.

I was happier when doing a mechanic's job--Henry Ford.

Millionaires seldom smile--Andrew Carnegie. Source Unknown.

Keeping what you have been given in the sense of hoarding it is never God’s plan for anyone. Give what you have…give it away and let it draw attention to Jesus.

A man had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. He could receive little company and was not to be excited. While in the hospital a rich uncle died and left him a million dollars. His family wondered how to break the news to him with the least amount of excitement. It was decided to ask the preacher if he would go and break the news quietly to the man. The preacher went, and gradually led up to the question. The preacher asked the patient what he would do if he inherited a million dollars. He said, "I think I would give half of it to the church." The preacher dropped dead.

“I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls …” (2 Corinthians 12:15).

Once “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,” we deliberately begin to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ’s interests and purposes in others’ lives (Romans 5:5). And Jesus has an interest in every individual person. We have no right in Christian service to be guided by our own interests and desires. In fact, this is one of the greatest tests of our relationship with Jesus Christ. The delight of sacrifice is that I lay down my life for my Friend, Jesus (see John 15:13). I don’t throw my life away, but I willingly and deliberately lay it down for Him and His interests in other people. And I do this for no cause or purpose of my own. Paul spent his life for only one purpose—that he might win people to Jesus Christ. Paul always attracted people to his Lord, but never to himself. He said, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22).

When you go to a doctor for your annual check-up, he or she will often begin to poke, prod, and press various places, all the while asking, "Does this hurt? How about this?" If you cry out in pain, one of two things has happened. Either the doctor has pushed too hard, without the right sensitivity. Or, more likely, there's something wrong, and the doctor will say, "We'd better do some more tests. It's not supposed to hurt there!" So it is when pastors preach on financial responsibility, and certain members cry out in discomfort, criticizing the message and the messenger. Either the pastor has pushed too hard. Or perhaps there's something wrong. In that case, I say, "My friend, we're in need of the Great Physician because it's not supposed to hurt there."

The story is told that the great theologian Thomas Aquinas once paid a visit to Pope Innocent II. As Aquinas was ushered into an ornate room somewhere in the Vatican, the pope was counting out a large sum of money to be deposited into the vault. "As you can see, Thomas" the pope proudly said, "the church can no longer say, 'Silver and gold have we none!'" "Yes," Aquinas replied. "Alas, it seems we also can no longer say to the lame, 'In the name of Jesus, walk!'"

Leftovers are such humble things,
We would not serve to a guest,
And yet we serve them to our Lord
Who deserve the very best.
We give to Him leftover time,
Stray minutes here and there.
Leftover cash we give to Him,
Such few coins as we can spare.
We give our youth unto the world,
To hatred, lust and strife;
Then in declining years we give
To him the remnant of our life.  

Author Unknown.

A final thought is in order here: As you give what you have been given to someone, you are stating by your actions and your love, that it is all about God and the unleashing of His Power in this world through the church. His love, mercy, grace and power are being unleashed in the world so that the world may Know Him, through Jesus Christ His son.

--Dennis Gleason