By: Dale Weckbacher
Acts 3:16
And his
name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know,
and the faith that is through Jesus[b] has given the man this perfect health
in the presence of you all.
(ESV)
During times of crisis or
struggle, it is normal for people to seek answers. Where we turn when seeking answers indicates where
we place our faith and trust. During the
present Covid19 crisis people are understandably turning to professionals in
the healthcare industry for answers. However,
the magnitude of this crisis is something the world has never experienced before
so these professionals are relying on models and conjecture which have been wrong. This does not mean the disease is not serious
for people are dying from it but those turning the healthcare professionals for
answers experience fear which is not from God and leads to bad decisions as
opposed to decisions made with soundness of mind (2
Timothy 1:7).
Racism does exist for the corrupt
hearts of people can harbor hatred of people of certain ethnicities or cultures. However, one does not combat racism with more
racism. All lives matter to God for not
only did he create all humanity, but he also died for them even though they are
sinners (Romans
5:8). The death of George Floyd was
murder and unjustified igniting racial tensions in the United States and other
parts of the world. The peaceful
protests of some are constitutional according to the first amendment of the
U.S. Constitution but when these protests become riotous and destructive, it becomes
lawless and indicates people placing their faith in violence and destruction for
an answer to their problems.
Both the lame beggar at the
Temple and those gathered at the Temple for prayer have problems and turn to different
people for an answer (Acts
3:11-26). However, where these
people turn for answers to their problems is insufficient to handle the main
problem in their lives, sin. From where
these individuals turn for answers provides a lesson on how different people
handle problems in life,
1) The
accepter (Acts
3:2) – These individuals are like the lame beggar who had settled into a
routine in life where he depended on others to take him to the Temple each day
to beg for alms to sustain him. When the
lame beggar received healing through the ministry of Peter and John, his
routine was disrupted and he clung to Peter and John (Acts
3:11) out of gratitude, not worship, for his initial reaction after
receiving healing was to praise God (Acts
3:8). The presence of Covid19 has
caused many to speak of a new normal society must accept. People are being asked to accept staying at home
and not have any physical contact or connection with others as a new
normal. Just as a man begging at the
Temple gate for money for his daily needs is not normal, neither is living
sheltered at home with no physical connection to others. Peter and John pointed the lame man to Jesus,
the source of his healing. Jesus should
be who we turn to in crisis and not the acceptance of the crisis as some new
normal in our lives but instead an opportunity for God to demonstrate His power
in our lives.
2) The
seeker (Acts
3:11) – Those gathered at the Temple for the hour of prayer appear to be there
to pray and seek God. However, when
witnessing a miracle of healing, they quickly approached Peter and John to
worship them believing they had some special power to heal the lame man. The truth is these individuals had the
appearance of seeking God but would follow anyone appearing to have the answer
to their problems. People are running to
science, government, and activists during Covid19 and racial strife who claim
to have the answers. As these
institutions fail to provide answers, people fall into despair, depression, and
even resort to violence. Instead of falling
into despair, depression, and commission of acts of violence, these individuals
need Jesus who has the power to heal and protect people from Covid19 and eliminate
racism in the hearts of people. If you
are a seeker, I encourage you to seek a personal relationship with God by
making a profession of faith in Jesus as Savior instead of answers from flawed
human institutions. If you have not done
so, I encourage you to make a profession of faith in Jesus as your Savior by
praying with me now,
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans
3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans
6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my
sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1
John 1:9). I believe you died, spent
three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord
of my life.
Peter and John pointed the accepter
and seekers they encountered when going to the Temple for the hour of prayer by
pointing them to Jesus. The beggar had
accepted his lot in life by daily sitting at the gate of the Temple begging for
alms. Begging is not what God intends
for His children, and not what God intended as normal for the lame man (Psalm
37:25). By pointing the lame man to
Jesus so he could receive healing, the lame man received healing, and instead
of begging, began to praise God (Acts
3:8). The seekers were seeking
something and believed they had found it in Peter and John. However, Peter and John pointed these seekers
to Jesus, the source of the lame man’s healing (Acts
3:13-26). The only accepting needed
for a child of God is to accept Jesus as savior (John
3:16; Romans 10:9-10). The only
seeking one must do is seek a relationship with God through Christ (Psalm
42:1-2). I encourage everyone
reading this to move from an accepter or seeker to a believer in Christ, the
source of joy in crisis (Romans
8:18).
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