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“What is 3R Thursday?”
3R Thursday is a short devotional written by Cole F. Watson that contains Ramblings, Ruminations, and Reflections published most Thursdays to equip Christians with practical theology and Biblical philosophy.
Previous devotionals can be read here ⬅️
Soli Deo Gloria ✝️
Now up, forward, and through 🤝
3R THURSDAY: Lame Beggar, Leaping Worshipper
At the beginning of Acts, Peter and John encounter a lame beggar. See Acts 3.
Much like Sheldon Cooper, this man had been lame from birth.
This lame beggar couldn’t walk, which meant he couldn’t work, which meant he couldn’t earn money, which meant he couldn’t buy X, Y, and/or Z.
Certain people had to carry this lame beggar to the city gate each day so he could beg for alms.
This was the extent of Roman welfare, which is why the lame beggar had to tug on the charitable heartstrings of the people.
To be fair, the lame beggar’s transportation team picked a great location for his begging: in front of the “Beautiful Gate” as devout worshippers (including Peter and John) were coming to the temple to pray.
As the saying goes in real estate, “Location, location, location.”
And what does any normal person do when stopped at red light as a panhandler approaches?
That’s right: look the other way.
I imagine that’s what the majority of the crowd did then too.
But Peter and John were not normal. They were Christians.
As they approached the lame beggar, he made his best sales pitch:
And what did Peter do?
He looked at the lame beggar—he demanded the beggar’s attention—”Look at us.” Acts 3:4
The lame beggar was expectant. He must have thought a big donation was coming.
But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.
Here was this man begging for alms, thinking that was what he needed, thinking that was all he could ask for. Perhaps his prayers were limited to the safest prayer he could muster: more alms.
And here comes the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit through Peter that healed this man—a gift far greater than any gold or silver.
He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 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.
The lame beggar became the leaping worshipper.
Lame Beggar, Leaping Worshipper
Let me ask a rhetorical question: Do you think this man would have been begging for alms if he knew that the power of Jesus’ healing was available to him instead?
Let me ask a personal question: Are you praying for alms instead of praying more powerful prayers? In other words, are you “praying it safe?”
We go about each day, striving after the undefined objective of making ends meet, with a weak belief that the God we serve is capable of so much more.
C.S. Lewis calls us “half-hearted creatures” for this very reason:
If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
Much like the lame beggar begging for alms or the child making mud pies in a slum, we are often content with our circumstances because we believe that’s all that’s available to us.
It’s the same ol’, same ol’.
Day in. Day out.
Another day. Another dollar.
We somehow end up in the same routine (perhaps feeling like other people are carrying us to and fro) and think nothing of it because this is the life we’ve known since birth.
Yet we don’t even realize the power of the Holy Spirit is at work in us; that the limitless power of Jesus Christ is at work through us.
There will come a time when someone or something demands our attention.
And what do we do?
Do we expectantly direct our attention to the calling?
Do we gaze into the abyss?
Do we see the unrelenting power of God beckoning us for so much more?
Or do we keep praying it safe?
Christian, do not be satisfied with alms—metaphorical or literal.
Become a leaping worshipper instead of a lame beggar.
Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
I pray that you would see yourself in the story of the lame beggar who became the leaping worshipper and stop praying it safe.
I encourage you to ask God for more than you could imagine, recognizing that we are half-hearted creatures being far too easily pleased with the alms of this world.
Hope you have a blessed week.
See you next Thursday,
CFW
P.S. If this encouraged you, please share with a friend.