29th July 2010

Acts 3:1-10 – Peter heals the crippled beggar

• I like the contrast here – it displays in a simple way what the Kingdom of God looks like when it breaks into our world.
• This takes place during the second prayer time of the day; the first was at 9am, this second at 3pm and the third was at sunset.
• This one took place at the ‘Beautiful Gate’ – Hebrew jafah. The ‘jaffa’ gate is at the end of the road lead from the port of Jaffa/Joppa named for its beauty.
• A man with an ugly crippling affliction is healed in a place of beauty.
• Again Peter follows Jesus pattern; the crippled man instigates the interaction. He would not have been healed had he not asked.
• This 3pm prayer was called Minchah – meaning offering, gift. Peter came to give one type of gift but was prepared to give more than that. He was not boxed in by the duties of the day. He did not walk around blind to possibilities because he thought he had done his duty.
• I need to be aware that there are other opportunities to give and not be bound by thinking I have done everything if I have done my duty.
• I must pray into this because the miracles come when we go the extra mile.