HEALING FOR THE CRIPPLED

BY REV GOH YONG KUANG

Acts 3 tells of an incident that took place at the temple gate, known as “beautiful gate.” But the sight of it was anything but beautiful. Sitting beside the temple gate was a beggar who was crippled since birth. Every day for years, he would be seen sitting there begging for food and money from those who walked through the gate. He became a permanent fixture at the gate, like part of the landscape!

One day, while walking to the temple, two apostles (Peter and John), heard a cry coming from the beggar. It was the same cry heard by others every day for years – a cry for help. Here was a man in dire need! The apostles did not see the crippled beggar as a nuisance or an inconvenience. They saw him as Jesus did – a person with a need. The crippled man asked for money, but they gave him something better – they restored his legs! 

Like the beggar who was born a cripple – we are all born sinners, born with a sinful nature.  Today, we may not be crippled in the legs, but is there any area in our lives that cripple us – such as a certain bad habit? A lustful spirit? Feelings of insecurity? Anger and bitterness? Self-condemning attitude? A critical or unforgiving spirit? We can go to God in Christ and find healing for such conditions and many others.

Approaching the crippled man, the apostles looked at the man intently and asked him to look at them.

“And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.”

(ACTS 3:4)

For years, the man probably saw only the feet of those walking in and out of the temple. To him, they were simply a means to an end – getting the money or food to survive another day. But Peter wanted the lame man to see him and John - not only as an opportunity to get food and money but see them as real people - people who really cared about him!

Are we, who are part of Glory English Service ready to say to the world -

“Look at us!”?

Will you and I dare to say to someone in need -

“Look at me…my God is able to help you?”

And when people do look at us, what will they see?  I believe when the crippled man looked at Peter and John, in a sense, he saw Jesus, the Son of God! And he saw in their eyes, the love and compassion of Christ!

God is constantly doing His miraculous healing work in us and through us! Are we ready to come to Him for healing?  Are we prepared to place ourselves in His hand to be used as instruments of healing to those around us?