Tuesday of Holy Week
Scripture: Acts 3:6-7
NRS 6 But Peter said, "I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk." 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.
Devotional: When we read this piece of Scripture, we tend to focus on the miraculous healing that God does through Peter and John as they tell the paralytic to get up and walk. We are amazed that a healer was born from one who didn’t have enough faith in the high priest’s courtyard to acknowledge that he was a disciple. Sometimes we even rearrange our priorities, as we read the contrast between worldly possessions and faith in Jesus. All of these are appropriate, but they overlook another transformation that has happened in The Rock. The humble boldness required for Peter to proclaim, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk,” is awe inspiring, but what about the first? “I have no silver and gold.” The one who asked Jesus about his earthly reward for following, now has no silver or gold? The one worried about not having enough food to eat as the disciples crossed over the Sea of Galilee after the feeding of the five thousand, now has no silver or gold? The one who returned to his old life worrying about his future, now has no silver or gold? No, he didn’t. Jesus sent the disciples out into ministry without a purse to teach them to depend upon God. Transformed Peter was living out that command. His trust in God was complete. His dependence upon God was absolute. He had no silver and gold because he didn’t need silver and gold. His faith in God the Son, not only healed paralytics, but also provided for his everyday needs. A healer had been born, but he was born out of someone who was humble enough to depend upon God for the smallest things in life. The leader of the church had no money. What a statement? We can wonder why? Did he not have any from the start? Did he give it all away? Was it taken from him? But all of those are unanswerable questions. We cannot know why and Luke didn’t want us to know why. We just need to know that he didn’t have any. His lack revealed a life completely dependent upon the providence of God. That is the message Luke wanted his readers to learn. Transformation in Christ includes embracing complete dependence upon God. Are we living out Luke’s truth? Are we living our Christian walks in a way that reflects complete dependence upon God or are we taking care of ourselves and only turning to God when we are desperate?”
Prayer: Creator of the universe. Maker of heaven and earth. You who put the trees of the garden there to feed us and gave us the animals of the field. Lord we come today asking that You instill in each of us absolute trust in You so that out of that trust we can live completely dependent upon You. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen.
Song of praise: More Precious than Silver performed by Paul McClure, Bethel Church
Spiritual discipline challenge: Today we find someone to serve out of our faith in God. Not in a way that is anonymous like writing a check but one where we come face to face with someone in need. Let us minister to them out of our dependence upon God.
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