Daily Wash 4/3/09

Scripture:

Acts 3:12 "So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: 'Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?'"

Observation:

A man who had been lame from his mother's womb had just been healed after an interaction with Peter and John on their way to the temple at the hour of prayer. The people were amazed because they all knew this was the lame man who had begged in that place for many many years. Peter looked at the crowd and said, "Why do you marvel at this?" He then goes on to give glory to God and shows them that it was not their righteousness or power that healed the man, but Jesus whom they had crucified.

Application:

I can't wait for the day when an absolute miracle is responded to by saying, "Why do you marvel at this?" Evidently the disciples had seen so many miracles and had been with Jesus so much that things like this were commonplace. God was working with the apostles in such a beautiful way that they realized it had nothing to do with them and everything to do with Jesus. It's like they were simply pointing people to Jesus and not to the miracles. Today we would say "get the tv crews on this, tells the newspapers, we just had a miracle". For the apostles, it was normal because they had been with Jesus. I also noticed in this passage that when they met the lame man they said "look at us" when the crowds were looking at them they said "don't look on us". It appears they knew they had something in them that could heal a lame man, but knew not to take any glory and to bring attention to themselves.

Prayer:

Lord, I want to see you glorified! May the church of Jesus Christ get back to pushing the praise back to Jesus instead of wanting people to see the miracles that happened and get noticed. May we come back to the place of humble servanthood in your kingdom. Let us remember that all glory goes to You! You are worthy of all praise! May You Name be glorified in all the earth and may the body of Christ see you work until they say, "Why do you marvel at this?" Thank you for a great example right from the beginning of the church age of how we should respond when God does something great.

Love,
Jeff