AT THE GATE
Here is the story of another man, who was defined by his condition. His given name is not known; he is referred to as; ‘The Lame man, who sat at the temple gate, called; ‘Beautiful’.
This man was lame from birth; he must have really felt helpless to have accepted begging as his only option for survival. Also, it seems like, even the people around him pitched begging to him, and encouraged him to beg; because according to scriptures, “he was brought to the beautiful gate every morning, in order to beg”. He was only lame, not paralyzed; he still had use of other parts of his body, and could have become anything else but a beggar. Yet, since the time he was old enough, he was always carried to the gate of the Temple to beg.
The place where he was always placed to beg was very strategic; it was in front of the temple gate. Hence, everyone who came to the temple saw him there and knew him as the Lame man who sat in front of the temple to beg.
On this particular day, as was his custom, the man saw Peter and John going into the Temple and asked them for money. Peter and John looked straight at him and said, “Look at us!” The man looked at them, thinking they were going to give him some money. But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold, but I do have something else I can give you. By the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, stand up and walk!” Then Peter took the man’s right hand and lifted him up. Immediately, the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk. He went into the Temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God. All the people recognized him as the crippled man who always sat by the Beautiful Gate begging for money. Now they saw this same man walking and praising God, and they were amazed. They wondered how this could happen.
What is that situation that you are in, or have been in, that seems to have become permanent; with all hopes of change or healing gone. I have come to inform you today, that it is not beyond the name of Jesus. That circumstance can change within a minute.
Everybody knows it about you; be it assumed, presumed or true. It has become a heavy burden on your shoulders, limiting you. And now, you have given up! All hope is gone! You dare not even trust God for a miracle, because it all seems impossible; why would you want to give yourself false hope. Moreover, time is no longer on your side. Now you just do as you are told, or you may have worked up a defense mechanism to disguise the pain or shame you feel as a result of what you are going through. It was the same, for the Lame man every morning. Everyone knew him, and whether he wanted to beg that day or not, it didn’t matter, he was always carried to the gate every morning to beg, without fail.
For me, the irony of it all is; why place him at the gate? Why not take him inside the temple, where maybe he may have been healed. Maybe the Lame where not allowed into the Temple in those days. What a sad sad story. To place an unbeautiful sight in front of a gate called beautiful. “A Lame man from birth at The gate called Beautiful”.
Thank God for the Hope of the Hopeless; Jesus Christ, He keeps looking out for us. Helper of the Helpless; always sending help, especially when we can no longer help ourselves or may have forgotten that we need help. This man didn’t even know that Peter and John were the help God had sent to him that day. He just innocently asked for alms like he usually does. And surprisingly; these men stopped and fix their gaze on him. It could be that no one had even looked on him the day. So, he fastened his eyes on them expecting to receive something from them. Healing would have been the last thing on his mind; I presume. Because Peter and John had to lift him up after his healing pronouncement, He sure was not expecting to get healed, he was taken by surprise. Yet, beyond his expectation, God did it for him .
Before he knew it, his ankles and feet became strong. His story was change within a twinkle of an eye, and he was elevated from being a beggar, to becoming a worshipper. For the first time in his life, he walked into the place he only used to see from outside; the temple. He must have really longed to go into the Temple, for it to be the very first place he went to, after his healing. He went in Jumping, and walking and praising God. Oh, what Joy!
The Lame man woke up that day a crippled beggar and slept that same day a changed man; healed and fully restored. He went about not begging, but praising God!
There is nothing God cannot do!
