Look at Us: Healing at the Beautiful Gate

That is why so often when we see people we recognize in public that we don't necessarily wanna talk to, we are sure that we do not look into their eyes. They are in the same shopping aisle, and you saw them, and you are sure that they do not see you and you keep right on. When you are at the intersection and there was a man or woman who may be asking for handouts and alms and begging for money. And you're in your car and you roll up and you're trying to beat that yellow light because you know when the red light comes, they're gonna be right there. And you're just don't make eye contact because you know there's an invitation there. There's an invitation in the eyes. I see you. You see me. A transaction's gonna happen here. [00:31:37] (64 seconds)  #AvoidingEyeContact

with intentionality and purpose, an invitation's gonna be granted so they demand that this man looks into their eyes. Now just that subtle command from these apostles to this lame man makes a world of difference because that man has gone through the majority of his life not being seen, not having that invitation. Now he's carried by people that may or may not love him. Maybe he's paying them to carry him to the gate. We're not necessarily sure who these people are who carry him there, but we do know that in this context and in our context that people who are laying by a gate asking for money are rarely seen. [00:33:18] (45 seconds)  #IntentionalInvitation

And it's at this gate that people are crossing in and out of this threshold more or less in this context between worship and the world, that he is sat in this place by his friends who have carried him, and he's been carried his whole life. And he has been set down just outside of this gate for I don't know how many years, but long enough to be recognized as the man who was once lame and is now leaping. And as he's outside of this gate, there's two men who are filled with the holy spirit who are on their way to pray. And as they walk by, he petitions of them and asks of them to donate to him some alms so that he can make a living, so that he can have a certain quality of life, so he can afford, his basic needs. [00:29:16] (62 seconds)  #WorshipMeetsWorld

And I think in this narrative, we can draw quite a bit of encouragement, and, and let's see what the Lord has for us. So beginning at verse one of Acts chapter three, it says, now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. And a man who had been unable to walk from birth was being carried, whom they used to settle down every day at the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful, in order for him to beg for charitable gifts from those entering the temple grounds. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple grounds, he began asking to receive a charitable gift. [00:25:04] (52 seconds)  #BeautifulGateMiracle