Acts 3:1-10 NIV
[1] One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. [2] Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. [3] When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. [4] Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” [5] So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. [6] Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” [7] Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. [8] He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. [9] When all the people saw him walking and praising God, [10] they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Dear God, we never, to my memory get stories like this where John is the one who speaks and/or heals. It’s obvious why Peter is the leader of this group. He is constantly sticking himself out there.

Luke tells us twice that the gate where he sat is called Beautiful. My temptation is to read this as a reference to how beautiful this ever was, but he might have just been giving people of the time a description of exactly where this happened because they knew the spot. It helped to put them in the moment.

For Peter, I think he had a couple of things happening with him here. First off, he is obviously a man of compassion. That’s not a word we normally associate with him. But he looked right at the man and he acted. John, on the other hand, looked right at the same man and didn’t act. He never really does anything in this entire story. Is this an indictment of him or an acknowledgment that each of us has a role to play?

Father, help me to not be guilty of missed opportunities. Help me to be compassionate on every person who comes my way. Love through me and give me the boldness I need to act.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen