Act 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
Act 3:12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, You men of Israel, why marvel at this? or why look so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk.
Peter and John were on their way to the temple to pray when they came across this lame man who had been brought there daily by others for many years. He was placed there at the gate to the temple in hope that some kind person would have mercy on him and give him enough money to squeak by and survive another day.
This account reminds us that there are always those suffering souls around us that cry out to be seen. I once asked my son, Wesley, who was in his mid-twenties at the time, what the greatest need of his generation was. His answer was profound and given unhesitatingly; they need to be noticed. Isn’t that what we all need? How piercing these words are to those of us who march quickly through our daily activities and tasks, but do not have eyes to see the people who are placed in our path. Peter, however, not only saw the man, but took a deep interest in him and his plight; indeed, we are told that he fastened his eyes on him. The lame man was unaware of who he was encountering, nor what he was about to receive. He thought he was going to get some loose change, and, in fact, he had his chains loosed. But let’s look closer at Peter’s instruction to the man.
Look on us. Notice that it is not, ‘Look on me’. Peter does not elevate himself above John and John does not grasp for attention; they are content to work together. This is a powerful thought when we realize that Peter and John had some previous relationship struggle and conflict. They had different personalities and views, but God did a deep work in their hearts that caused them to be united from then on. We are brothers and sisters in the Lord; we are members of the same body of Christ; we have the same mission and that mission is about people. It is encouraging to see these men of God cooperate, both with God and each other. Harry Truman once said that it is amazing what can be accomplished if we do not care who gets the credit.
This dear man was born lame and would never have known a normal care-free childhood. He would not have had the blessing of productive work or having a mate in life. He was unable to go anywhere without assistance; he was what we might call today, the marginalized of society; sidelined and disregarded. He could not stand up and walk as God created him to, and maybe one of the most tragic things was he couldn’t look people in the eyes as their peer. He was lowered by the harsh realities of his life, indeed, everyone looked down on him. But one day he heard someone tell him to look up, look out and to look at who it was that was speaking to him. Our answers lie not in lifeless money but, in a living person.
Look on us. We are here to help. We are sent by God. We do not have all the answers, but we know the One who does. We are not the Source of your answer, but we may very well be the channel. We are the conduit for the Power to flow through. Look on us, for you may not be able to see God, but you can see us. You may not be hearing His voice, but you can hear ours.
After the man was healed there was quite a commotion among the people because they all knew the man and had observed him begging daily at the gate of the temple. No doubt, many people began to credit the amazing miracle to Peter and John and point toward them as Healers and Miracle-Workers. Many men, whom God has used, have gone astray just here. Had these men not walked closely with Jesus and saw His humility and how He credited the Father for all the great things that took place through His ministry, they might have been tempted to receive some of that praise, but these godly and sensible men wanted nothing to do with that.
Why are you looking on us? We are men just like you. We are no different, and certainly not better. We do not have any power of our own and we are not any more holy than others. We wanted the lame man to look on us because he needed the answer but now that he has his answer we want you to look to God as the Source of this great miracle. I fastened my eyes on him when he was in need, but you must not fasten your eyes on us now that the need is met. Jesus must get all the credit. He is the reason that this man is healed. He is the one to be praised.
Our lives are made up of many different seasons and circumstances. One day we might be in Peter and John’s position, being used by God as a channel of blessing. Another day we might be in the lame man’s position, being in need of God’s blessing. More accurately, I suppose, we are simultaneously in both positions. We are the needy being used of God to meet needs. We are the helpless being used of God to bring help. We are the weak being used of God to bring strength. We are the sick, being used of God to bring healing. We are the sorrowful being used of God to bring joy. We are the momentary being used of God to bring the eternal. It is wonderful to be a channel through whom God can flow, but one thing we know for sure; we are merely the channel and not the Source. All of the credit, all of the praise and all of the honour must go to whom it is due; our precious Saviour and Lord, Jesus the Christ!
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