Greater Works Than These – June 19, 2022

Psalm 63:1-4, Acts 3:1-16
June 19.2022

I said last week that we would be looking at a couple of the miracle stories in Acts.  And I said they would be stories in which the disciples would live out Jesus’ words, when he said, “Greater works than these will you do because I go to the Father.”  And I wonder… I wonder if Peter was thinking about those words when he encountered this disabled man at the Temple gate. 

If you think about it, this was an amazingly bold thing to do!  And sometimes we forget that.  After all, we think of him as Saint Peter!  Of course he did this!  But he was a guy, like us!  He was a common man – a fisherman!  And that was as common as they come!

And remember also that he hadn’t done any “greater works!”  Not yet!  So far, he’d only been part of that whole “speaking in other languages” thing.  This was the first!  And this wasn’t “subtle” in any way.  It wasn’t done in any kind of private way.  It was right out in public, right at the Temple, for all to see!  So, this was a bold move on his part.  And if it hadn’t worked, if the miracle hadn’t happened, it would have looked pretty bad, wouldn’t it?  But it did!

When I read this story, I wonder what any of us would have done.  As we passed this man at the Temple gate, would we have given him anything?  Remember that for those people, this was part of their “offering.”  They were expected to give to those in need – like this man.  It was part of their religious tradition.  And for some, like this man at the Temple, it was their only source of income!

So, what would we have done?  Would we have given him alms?  Maybe.  But if we didn’t, would we have avoided his gaze?  Have you ever been in that position?  You see someone asking for handouts, and you either you aren’t able to give him anything, or just don’t want to, so you look away?  Maybe you even “pass by on the other side,” like the priest and the Levite in the story of the Good Samaritan.  They crossed the road to avoid dealing with the man who had been mugged.

Well, that kind of a response would be on the opposite end of the spectrum from what Peter did, wouldn’t it?  Peter didn’t avoid this man’s gaze!  In fact, Luke tells us that “Peter directed his gaze at him – with John.  And he said, ‘Look at us.’”  And the man responded.  He “fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something.”  That can be a kind of “visual contract,” can’t it?  That eye contact carries with it that expectation.  And Peter knew it!  And so did this man.

However, what the man expected, did not happen.  What happens next is that Peter gives the man this classic line, one I’m sure we remember, and one that’s been set to music many times over the years.  “Silver and gold have I none, but that which I have I give thee.  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk!”  (And I’m sure he said it in King James English!)  And the man stands up, and follows them into the Temple, “walking and leaping and praising God!”  (That’s part of the song, too, isn’t it?)

And I keep thinking, what a bold move on Peter’s part!  And this was only the beginning!  Can we even begin to imagine ourselves doing or saying anything like this?

I’ve prayed for healing for many people over the years, and I’m sure you have, too.  But as I’ve done so, I’ve always tried to keep a couple of things in mind.  And the first thing is that healing is up to God.  When I pray, I ask God to heal a person, if it’s his will to heal.  And that makes it a tricky thing.  Because God doesn’t always do what we ask, the way we ask it.  Perhaps the greatest of such prayers was Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.  He said, “Father, if it’s possible, take this cup (the cup of suffering) away from me.  Nevertheless, not my will but your will be done.”

That’s one thing.  Healing is up to God.  And I’ve also tried to keep in mind that there are no magic formulas to such prayer.  I think some people pray for healing almost as if they’re trying to force God’s hand.  “Hey God, you said if we ask, you’ll do it, right?”  “So now I’m asking!”  It’s almost like it’s calling God on some kind of “bargain.”  But again, it isn’t our will, but God’s will.  It isn’t for our glory, but for his glory.

I’ve also tried to keep in mind, when I pray for healing, that God never promises us perfect physical health.  As we say on Ash Wednesday, “Remember O child, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return, but the steadfast love of God endures forever!”  We are dust!  And to dust we shall return.  And in the meantime, God does not promise us perfect physical health.  What he does promise is perfect spiritual health!

Over the years, I’ve encountered people who have forgotten all that.  I knew a man who once prayed for a boy with a hearing impairment.  I wasn’t there, but I’m told he put his hands on the young man’s ears, he prayed, and then, “in faith,” he took his hearing aids, threw them on the floor – and stepped on them!  Well, of course, the boy was not healed, and you can just imagine the repercussions of that! (And that was in the days when hearing aids didn’t cost thousands of dollars!)  Healing is up to God.  He wants us to pray for it.  But in the end, it’s about his will.

I knew a woman who had a heart issue – a tachycardia.  And once, during an episode, she was on the way to the hospital to get an EKG to track the problem and decide the best treatment plan.  But on the way, another woman prayed for her, and then she said to her, “Ok, we’ve prayed, now we have to have faith.  So now we turn the car around and go home.”  And they did.  And that woman lived with the same heart issue for years after that.  It never went away!

Those are troubling stories.  And they help me to remember that healing is not about us, it’s about God.  It’s about his will.  It’s about his glory.  And it’s about his power.  And you know something?  Even when I do not experience God healing someone, I never doubt his power to do so!  And I hope you don’t, either!

I knew a woman once who did doubt God’s power.  I think I may have told you about her before.  She told me unequivocally that she believed all the miracle stories in the Bible were not real.  She said they were just “legendary” stories attributed to Jesus years later.  She did not believe God had the power to heal.  And her reason was, that he didn’t heal her father.  He didn’t heal him, and therefore, her conclusion was that he couldn’t.  That is sad to me every time I think of it!  Again, who’s will is it?  Who’s power?  Who’s glory!

As I think about that, I think perhaps the greatest prayer for healing was made by Jesus himself when he raised Lazarus from the dead – which may also have been the greatest healing ever!  He said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.  I know that you always hear me, but I’m saying this on account of those who are listening, that they may believe.”  He knew it was all about God’s will, God’s power, God’s glory!

In all of this, I believe the faith we must have in our prayers for healing is that God is with us.  Maybe he heals us when we pray, maybe he doesn’t.  But he is with us!  And we can trust that!  And no matter what happens, we can show that to others who are hurting.

So, I’m wondering about Peter.  And I’m wondering if the greatest miracle in this story was not so much that this man was healed, but that Peter had the boldness to speak to him!  Reaching out to others, especially people in need, can be hard.  And for some of us, it’s very hard!

That’s perhaps where this all comes home to us.  Sharing God’s love sometimes means stepping out of our “comfort zone.”  It means doing things for, and reaching out to, and loving people we might not “feel like” loving.  It means forgiving when we might not “feel like” forgiving.  It means taking “leaps of faith,” where that “leap” might not be very far, at least not at first.

And I believe it’s so important for us to know, that no matter what happens, God is with us!  Do you know that?  Do you seek to know his presence?  Do you try each day, to be aware of his spirit within you?  That’s the miracle of Pentecost.  It’s no longer just that he is our God, and we are his people.  Now, we know that he with us, and he is in us!

Prayer

Eternal God, we thank you for your eternal presence in our lives.  Help us to be more aware of that presence.  Help us to know that you love us and care for us.  Help us to have the strength to step out of the way and let you work in and through our lives.  And in all things, we give you glory and honor and praise, world without end, Amen.