Book of Acts Sermon Starters Week 5

Background

This passage records the miraculous healing of a lame man at the Beautiful Gate. That miracle became the catalyst that set in motion a volatile series of events: Peter's discourse (3:11-26), the arrest of Peter and John by Jewish religious leaders followed by another discourse (4:1-22), prayer with the Christian community and the response of the Holy Spirit (4:23-31). The miracle/discourse rhythm in Acts is not unlike that found in John's gospel account.

Interestingly, Acts 3:1-10, which precipitated the above-mentioned events, is not included in the Revised Common Lectionary. What a shame, for this story contains the good news that God graciously heals and restores lives.

Who was the beggar?
In biblical times, the beggar represented one of the lowest, have-nots in society. A man unable to work, reduced to begging as his only hope for sustenance, was pitiable. The lame man begged from religious folk entering the temple.

The details Luke included about the beggar are not by accident. According to the practice of the times, the lame man's physical impairment made him an "outsider" to the temple community. He was excluded from the temple and all it symbolized in Israel: Divine presence, sacrifice, atonement for sin -- to name just a few.

The Temple
The temple's other symbolic meanings were less than spiritual. The temple exuded opulence. Herod rebuilt the Second Temple (a forty-six year process) and adorned it lavishly with gold-decorated roofs and marble columns.

According to the Jewish historian, Josephus, the stones used in the construction were so exceedingly white that, from a distance, it resembled a mountain of snow. The sun's reflection from the extensive gilding made it painful for onlookers to see. The temple contained both the spoils of war (a pagan practice) and the voluntary offerings of faithful believers.

Second, the temple represented exclusion. The lame and blind were routinely prevented from entering the inner courts of the temple. Some point to 2 Samuel 5 and ancient texts discovered at Qumran community as the rationale for this longstanding discrimination against the physically impaired. Also excluded were Gentiles, and Jewish women were given only restricted access.

Beautiful Gate
It seems ironic that a gate called beautiful performed the ugly task of preventing those with the greatest needs from accessing the place that "housed God." The beautiful gate was the grand entrance to the Court of Women, the general place of public worship during the time of sacrifices.

Healing -- A Sign of the New Kingdom
That the lame man was healed signals a new era in which one's condition, "the poor, the maimed, the lame, the bind," are reversed so they too can participate in God's blessings of the kingdom. The newly healed man can now enter the temple -- restored physically and socially. This is a glimpse into the new reality of the new kingdom of God ushered in by the Resurrected Jesus. The gospel of the new kingdom underscores God's concern for the least and the lost.

Notes: Acts 3:1-10

The opening verses set human need and divine provision on a collision course. Peter and John approach the temple for prayers and happen upon a lame man. Luke's detailed description enhances our awareness. The man was lame "from birth," carried "daily" and "placed" at the gate. He'd been needy all his life. (Acts 3:1-2)

The lame man saw Peter and John and asked for alms. Instead of alms, Peter looked at him intently and told him to look at them. The lame man did, still expecting alms. (Acts 3:3-5)

The Hebrew meaning of alms (zedakah) is charity in the spirit of uprightness or justice. Wealth was considered a loan from God, and the poor had a certain claim on the possessions of the rich. The rich were instructed to share God's bounty with the poor. The lame man begged with this expectation in mind.

Undoubtedly, Peter's response provided more charity and justice than the lame man expected. Peter took the man by his right hand and raised him up. Immediately strength entered the man's limbs. He walked and jumped (physical healing) and entered the temple with them (social restoration). [Acts 3:6-8]

The people who recognized the former lame man were filled with wonder and awe. The demonstration of the gospel in action often overwhelms us. (Acts 3:9-10)

Putting the Sermon Together

Get Up! Peter's words to the lame man were "game changers." From birth, this man was lame. From birth, he'd learned to live in the marginal areas society offered "lesser people." His life consisted of appealing to the conscience of others in hopes of generous response. Who knows how many times he heard "No!" before receiving the yes of several coins dropped on his mat? Who knows how many people walked by him without bothering to "see" him? Peter and John looked intently at him and asked him to look at them. Things were about to change. Old paradigms would be pulverized.

The good news of the kingdom of God is the distribution of God's healing and salvation to all. Peter spoke under the authority of Jesus Christ, "Get up!" and change your perspective. You are welcome in the house of God.

Explore the various ways the gospel invites us to "Get up!" and walk in the power of the resurrection, no longer chained to the condemned spaces offered to us by others. Who does your congregation need to look at intently? Who needs to look at your church more closely? What new spaces for restoration might your church offer?

Examine the implications of preaching and believing the gospel message that includes physical and social healing. What should we preach, teach, and believe about healing today? What would it mean for your congregation to help restore someone socially, someone like an ex-offender, an immigrant, a homeless person?

Beautiful Barriers or Beautiful Bridges? The Second Temple that Herod had rebuilt boasted extravagance: blinding-white walls, marble columns, gilded roofs. That the biblical event in today's passage occurs at a gate called "beautiful" should not be taken lightly.

For some, the Beautiful Gate stood as an entryway into the fellowship found in the gathered community within the temple courts. For others, it stood as a barrier reminding the lame and blind that society considered them "less than" and not welcome inside sacred space.

Knowingly and unknowingly, human beings erect "keep-off-the-grass signs" around themselves and their sacred spaces. The church is no different. In his book, Change the World, Michael Slaughter openly discusses the struggle his megachurch had fighting the lure of pursuing ever-expansive building projects versus sharing ministry with the poor and marginalized.

Today's passage provides an opportunity to examine the priorities of the local church. Do the activities in the life of your church primarily benefit the members inside or encourage the members to extend God's love to people outside? Is your church a beautiful barrier or a beautiful bridge?

Questions to Wrestle With

The beggar, an archetype of society's poor and marginalized, sat daily outside the temple. Who sits in constant need of healing and restoration near your local congregation? How might your congregation offer them meaningful help?
The beggar thought he knew the extent of what he could ask for (alms), but was surprised to receive more. What happens when we limit God's ability to bless us?
To the beggar, the Beautiful Gate was a paradox: an entry point for some and a barrier for others from the community of faith. What might a twenty-first-century beggar identify as a "beautiful" thing separating him or her from the people of faith in your congregation?
The temple carried dual meanings to first-century Hebrews: opulence and wealth and Divine presence. What meanings do people in your neighborhood perceive about your congregation?
Exorbitant amounts of time and money were spent on the construction of Herod's temple. Compare the percentage of the church budget devoted to maintenance of the physical plant to the percentage devoted to mission and ministry. Does your budget reflect a higher priority toward mission and ministry or toward building maintenance?
The healing of the lame man signaled a new era in which God's love was extended beyond Israel to the least and the lost. How can your local congregation extend God's love beyond the membership of your congregation?
The Hebrew meaning of alms included justice. What "alms" of justice might your congregation offer others?

Suggested Resources

Online

Continue to Change the World series

Windblown Christians: (Part 2 Continue to Change the World series)

"Church--For Members Only or Whosoever Will?" (Part 1)

"Church--For Members Only or Whosoever Will?" (Part 2)

"Church--For Members Only or Whosoever Will?" (Part 3)

Justice For Our Neighbors (JFON)

Restorative Justice

General Board of Church and Society Resources

Print

Change the World by Michael Slaughter