Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, ‘Look at us.’ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 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.’ ”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, April 26, 2020
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: Peter and John healed more than a disabled man’s legs—they gave him a community.
Peter and John were entering the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate” when they encountered a man born unable to walk. Although there’s some debate as to which gate the “Beautiful Gate” might be, it is likely the gate separated the Gentile court from the court of women. The layout of the temple included, from outside in: the court for Gentiles, court for women, court for ritually pure Jewish men, court for priests, the court for burnt offerings, and the temple building. If the man was left at the Beautiful Gate, it meant, due to his disability, he lacked access to any court beyond that of the Gentiles (the outermost court). Beautiful Gate also could be interpreted as the gate “happening at the right time” or gate of ripeness. Clearly, Peter and John were ripe for taking on the full (including healing) ministry of Jesus.
When Peter and John encountered the man, they would have known at a great distance that the man was disabled and in need of physical healing. But when they approached him, both “looked intently at him.” It was as if they needed to look into his soul to determine the type of healing the man needed the most.
As it turned out, what the man needed was more than strength to walk. When they healed his legs, they also gave him, for the first time, inclusion into the inner courts of the temple. For the first time in the man’s life, he entered the inner court as an equal (to those also allowed in the inner courts). It’s no wonder he entered the temple “walking and leaping and praising God.” He was no longer an outcast. He was invited in.
Often healing comes when we are invited in. Anyone who’s been excluded knows how devastating that isolation can be. We were created to be in healthy relationships. When we are outcast, we are damaged and in need of healing. Peter and John gave the man more than physical healing—they gave him a community. We don’t need the power of healing to give the gift of community. We have it within us to create community through our hospitality, generosity, and gratitude for others.
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