Week #8 — A Miraculous Leg Day
On July 26, 1990 (not very long ago, at least to me), President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law. The Act requires the building or modification of most public places to provide access for disabled persons, including business accommodations, transportation, and employment locations. The Act also prohibits discriminatory treatment of disabled persons (and others) in all employment-related matters. The idea behind such a law aligns well with the Christian understanding of humanity. The Bible teaches that all humans are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Therefore, God has stamped every one of us with indelible value and worth.
It isn’t this way everywhere, and it hasn’t always been this way anywhere. In the first century, for example, to be disabled was to be resigned to a life of begging. With no ability to work or access to accommodations of any kind, disabled people presumed upon the charity of passersby to get enough to meet their needs. And that is precisely why our passage for today is so astounding.
As Peter and John head off to worship the Lord at the temple, God performs a miracle. A man born lame has his legs resurrected to new life. As the apostles meet a far greater need than this man could have ever dreamed, our Lord invites us to ponder the miracle of God meeting an even greater need in each of us—eternal resurrection by way of redemption. Read Acts 3:1-10 together with your group. Then, as you go through the discussion questions below, consider the miracle of new life that God has worked in you.
In Christ,
Pastor Ken
Week #8 — Questions
- Peter and John, on their way to the temple prayer hour, chose to stop and engage the lame man instead of passing him by. Read Luke 10:25-37. What similarities and differences do you see between Jesus’ parable and this actual event? What does this moment reveal about the disciples’ priorities and attentiveness to the Spirit’s leading?
- When you pass a homeless person or beggar on the street, do you feel guilty if you do not help them? Why or why not?
- Peter and John had certainly passed that same gate before en route to temple worship. Why would God have chosen this moment to act? How can we learn to be sensitive to God’s timing rather than our own routines?
- Peter tells the man to “look at us” instead of tossing him a coin. Personal, relational Gospel ministry is not the same as detached charity. Are you more comfortable with ministry or charity? Are both Biblical?
- Peter gives what he has, not what the man asked for, to meet the man’s actual needs. What has God given you to meet the needs of those around you?
- In Acts 2, Peter commanded them to repent and be baptized “in the name of Jesus Christ.” Now, he heals “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.” What does this show about the apostles’ understanding of Christ’s authority and their dependence?
- Pastor David said that miracles in Acts are more than an end in themselves. Still, they serve to confirm and authenticate the Gospel message. How does that function in this case?
- Sometimes we can become so focused on asking God for our wants that we forget about our actual needs. What do you truly need (not want) from God in your life right now?
- The man received miraculous physical healing, leading him to go immediately to the temple to worship and praise God. We have received eternal resurrection in Christ. How should we react?
- The crowd was filled with wonder and amazement, raising an opportunity for Gospel witness. What has God done in your life that enables you to point others to Christ rather than yourself?