Jump Start # 3846
Acts 4:14 “And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.”
The events of Acts three flow into chapter four. A man born crippled, at the gate of the temple is miraculously healed by Peter. He follows them into the Temple. As Peter preaches, the temple guard show up and they take Peter away. He spends the night in the jail. The next day, an assortment of important people gather, including the high priest, rulers and elders. They can’t deny the miracle. The healed man is not only known well by everyone, he is right there. So, they tell Peter not to preach in the name of Jesus anymore. Peter ignores that warning and them.
What is interesting, found in our verse today, is that the healed man was standing next to Peter and John. He didn’t go home. He didn’t wave a “Thank you,” and go about things. Think about this for a moment. He has been crippled all of his life. From his mother’s womb, the third chapter tells us. He has never climbed a tree. He has never gone swimming. He has never run. He has never danced. He has never kicked a ball. So many things he has never done. Now he can. But, there he remains, standing with them.
The demon possessed man in Mark five is like this. After the demons are chased out of him, he wants to stick with Jesus. The Lord tells him to go to his people and report what great things the Lord has done for him.
What a wonderful lesson for us:
First, these examples recognize that a changed life isn’t the freedom to just do whatever you want to do. They stand with the Lord. How sad to see someone come with their life in pieces, tears in their eyes, out of hope and out of options and wanting someone to help them. The people of God do just that. That’s what they are good at. Maybe some pitch in and come up with some money to help the person get through the month. Maybe it’s a work party that takes place at their home. The outside is cleaned up and the inside is polished. Maybe it’s going to counseling with someone battling an addiction. They need help and help is given. But once the crisis clears, where are they? Are they standing with you? Are they in line to help the next hurting person? No. Much too often, they are gone. Back to their worldly ways and soon back to the troubles they had before. Help and change didn’t really change them.
The crippled man was standing with them.
Second, when the heat of opposition arose, the crippled man didn’t go into hiding. He was standing with them. The apostles having spent a night in jail and now standing before the powerbrokers of the city, it would be easy to think this is about to explode and I don’t want to get into trouble. Instead, he is standing with them. He too could have been put in jail. He too could have gotten into all kinds of trouble. Some talk a great game, but once the whistle blows telling us that it is game time, they are no where to be found. The apostles went out of their way for this crippled man. There was nothing he could give them. He was begging for alms. But, what he did give them was his support, confidence and standing with them.
Sometimes we preachers have to talk about some tough subjects. Modesty. Social drinking. Divorce. And, when those things are preached, the preacher often finds himself standing alone. Where are the leaders? Where are the parents? Where are others? The crippled man stood with the apostles.
Third, sometimes people do not know whose side we are on because we are not found standing with anyone. The wind blows one way and we’ll lean that way. Then the wind blows the other way, and we are leaning that way. We have a man who is deaf that worships with us. He can speak but it is very difficult to understand him. He can write things out. He follows the songs on the screen and can read some lips. I realize that he is not getting the majority of our preaching. But he comes. And, I think one reason he comes is to stand with those who stand with the Lord. He is declaring what side he is on.
This is a tough lesson that those young in faith must learn. You can’t keep one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom. That won’t work. You’ll have too much world in you to do any good in the kingdom and you’ll have just enough Gospel in you to make you feel guilty with the world. A man without a country. A man in two worlds. Miserable is what he is. And, what he needs to do is to stand with the Lord.
The crippled man was standing with them.
Roger