Healing and Refreshing (Acts 3:1-10)

Bible Passage: Acts 3:1-26

Acts 3 sits alongside Acts 2:42-47 in showing the life of the early Jerusalem church, but now the focus has moved from what the internal life of the church was like to an example of how the church interacted with those around them. The chapter shows the healing of a man who could not walk, and then a spontaneous sermon from Peter in response to the crowd’s astonishment at the healing.

Compassion: The central narrative of the chapter is found in verses 1-10 where Peter and John are on the way into the temple and a man who could not walk asked them for money. It is noteworthy that the apostles were not the ones to initiate the conversation, but they did engage and give the man their attention once he had cried out to them (many of the healings performed by Jesus follow this same pattern). There is a lesson here for us as we go about our busy lives. Often the opportunities to step out for God might not be things we had planned or anticipated, but unexpected interruptions to which we can respond with kindness.

Healing: They did not have money to give, but instead healed him in Jesus’ name. The healing happened straight away and it wasn’t even prayed for, but just declared. It shows the power of the Spirit working in the early church continuing the work of Jesus. This is a narrative text, and it would be wrong to take it as a pattern for every interaction (nothing suggests this happened with every person they met), but it would also be wrong to dismiss the example it sets of the power of the Spirit at work. We can and should be seeking to see God bring his healing and compassion to those around us.

Focus on Jesus: As amazing as the healing miracle is, the focus of the apostles was not on the healing itself, but on the one in whose name it was done. As Peter pronounces healing to the man, he is clear that the healing is in the name of Jesus, and in the rest of the chapter after this passage, he takes the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with all those who have been amazed at the miracle. God still works through signs and wonders today, but these are not ends in themselves but are designed to point people to Jesus.

Potential Applications:

• You could offer prayer for healing as part of the response to the sermon.
• Challenge people about how they see those with need that they encounter. Do they walk on by or do they stop and help?