Why “Things” Happen Acts 3:1-10 A challenge to take advantage of whatever is happening around us regardless of why it may be happening. Introduction There’s an old Chinese Proverb that says… A farmer and his son had a stallion that ran away and their neighbors exclaimed, “Your horse ran away, what terrible luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.” A few days later, the horse returned home, leading a few wild mares with it. And the neighbors shouted, “Your horse has returned, and brought several horses home with him. What great luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.” Later, the farmer’s son tried to break one of the mares and she threw him to the ground, breaking his leg. The villagers cried, “Your son broke his leg, what terrible luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.” A few weeks later, the national army marched through town, conscripting all able- bodied boys into service. They did not take the farmer’s son because of his broken leg. Friends shouted, “Your boy is spared, what tremendous luck!” To which the farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.” And so the story goes. But the moral of the story is that the end result of any event may not be readily apparent. We may have to wait and see what “happens.” Which brings up an interesting question: Why Do “Things” Happen? Is it a matter of luck? Just a matter of happenstance? Or is there some hand orchestrating the events that are happening around us, leading us, directing us down certain paths? That’s what I hope our text helps us look at this morning. Our text is about… • Peter and John • And a lame man • And a great crowd that gathers after a great miracle has taken place Our text this morning describes it this way… Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John were going up (imperfect tense: describing continuous action) to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And, while Peter and John were going up, verse two says… Acts 3:2 And a man lame from birth was being carried (again, imperfect tense: continuous action), whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. And my question this morning is: What’s the chances of that? That these “two ships passing in the night,” as it were, would bump into one another? That just as Peter and John “were going up” this lame man “was being carried” in? That is, one did not arrive before the other. And the one passed the other on the way in. No. Both “were arriving” at the same time. “Simultaneously,” is the way one Greek scholar describes it. (Lenski New Testament Commentary) At the same time. At the same gate even! And… Acts 3:3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, (the lame man) he asked to receive alms. Because that’s why he was there. That’s why he was carried there, and laid there, every day. “To ask alms of those entering the temple.” Now that’s not why Peter and John are there. Peter and John seem to be there for prayer. Because it was the time of prayer. Which would probably make it a great time for a lame man down on his luck to to lean on a few bleeding hearts as well. So that’s probably why everyone is there. • For prayer • Or for a hand out from a few bleeding hearts that may have been there for prayer And so… Acts 3:3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, (the lame man) he asked to receive alms. Acts 3:4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” That is, Peter and John did not, like the priest and the Levite in Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan, see the poor man down on his luck “and pass by on the other side.” No! Peter and John stopped, and directed their gaze at the man. And they directed the man’s gaze to them! “Look at us,” they said. Acts 3:5 And (the lame man) he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. And receive something He did! But it wasn’t the little bit of pocket change he was expecting. Instead… Acts 3:6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” Acts 3:7 And (Peter) he took (the lame man) him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Acts 3:8 And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Raise a man to his feet, who has been lame all his life, so that he can immediately walk, and leap, AND HE GOES AROUND WALKING AND LEAPING AND PRAISING GOD! And I’ll tell what else he does. HE DRAWS A CROWD! For… Acts 3:9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, Acts 3:10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. As it fills me with wonder and amazement as well! It causes me to wonder… 1. How Much of All This was Coincidental & How Much Providential? Explanation • The arrival at the same time, • at the same gate; • the man who needed needed help, • and maybe the only men in Jerusalem who could really help him! • The one, begging for what the other did not have; • and the other, giving that which the one never asked! Coincidental? or Providential? Was this the luckiest man in the world, or what? Some people don’t believe in luck. Some people say this man was rewarded because of his faith. But this man is not mentioned as having any faith. He didn’t ask for a miracle. He didn’t expect a miracle. He may not have even believed in miracles, as far as we know. He may have given up on the idea of ever walking long ago. He asked for money. From everybody. Just like he did everyday. With the help of his friends, or family, this man was carried, daily, and laid at the gate called “Beautiful” to beg. And every day, his friends, or family, had to return and carry this man home. And I’m sure that was the plan for today as well. Why should today be any different? But today was different, wasn’t it! And that’s my question: Why was it different? Why did this wonderful thing happen? And why did it happen to this man and not some other man? Why was I blessed to be born and raised in “Almost Heaven” West Virginia– while my son-in-law was born and raised in Haiti? Don’t get me wrong. I thank God for all my blessings. The Bible says… James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. And so I “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow!” But why me? And why not David? And if you say it must be because my faith is so much greater, you don’t know what you are talking about. Why was this lame man healed, and not one of the other many cripples hobbling around Jerusalem who could have also used a good healing? Was this man just “in the right place, at the right time?” I don’t think Scripture tells us. What Scripture does tell us is what Peter does with this wonderful opportunity provided him– whether it came to him coincidentally or Providentially. Or by some combination of thereof. 2. Peter Made the Most of It! Explanation A great crowd gathers. All the people see this man “walking and leaping and praising God!” And they recognized him as the same man, lame from birth, who sat at the gate called Beautiful, at the temple, every day, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened. And… Acts 3:11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. Acts 3:12 And when Peter saw it (the ex-fisherman in him came out, and…) he addressed the people… Peter preached Christ! Because that’s what fishermen do. Fishermen don’t philosophize. That’s what philosophers do who sit in their ivory towers. Sit around in their slippers and smoke pipes and wonder and philosophize and theorize “Why.” Fishermen don’t care why. Fishermen simply care about catching fish. That’s the only reason fishermen cast nets. Peter is recorded as doing that, upon more than one occasion if you’ll remember– but I’m thinking of the one after Jesus’ resurrection, on the Sea of Tiberius. John 21:3 Simon Peter said to (the other discipes) them, “I am going fishing.” (Because Peter was a what before he became an apostle? A fisherman! And the other disciples) They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.