Trained For This
Notes
Transcript
What is Beautiful?
What is Beautiful?
I am so ready for Fall! I loved watching college Football this past Saturday. I was excited when I walked out of my house Wednesday morning and it was not warm outside. I think fall is the most beautiful time of the year. Wait until next Spring and I might change my mind, again. I love wearing my scarfs and boots. I love planning Thanksgiving dinner and deciding what we may get the kids for Christmas. I love making chili and pumpkin pie. All of these things are so beautiful to me. Being thankful and feeling blessed brings beautiful joy to the soul.
Maybe you like Summer better. What are some of the beautiful things about Summer? Maybe you would rather look at the beautiful snow that may come in the Winter? What else is beautiful to you? Beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder as the saying goes. We have our favorite color, our favorite scenic view, our imaginations and dreams. Some things that are beautiful are not just what can be seen. Some things of beauty are felt, through touch or through our emotions. What is beautiful to you?
Let us Pray and Read Acts 3:1-16
1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. 4 Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 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. 8 Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s Portico, utterly astonished. 12 When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. 14 But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
When Peter and John entered in the gate it was 3:00 pm, which was the ninth hour in their time calculations. It was at this time a few months prior that Jesus was crucified. This time is also known as the time of prayer. They were going to the synagogue at this appointed time for prayer with many other Jewish people.
The main entrance they were walking though was known as the Beautiful Gate. The Greek word used in this text is ὡραῖος, pronounced hōraios, which means to being attractive, beautiful, fair, lovely, pleasant of persons and things, an angel. Since this is a Jewish naming of the gate, we should understand that they would have called this the נָאָה, pronounced (nā·ʾā(h) which meaning would be similar as in to be beautiful, be suitable, be in a state of having lovely or befitting appearance. Therefore this gate would have been a welcoming sight to draw people into the city. This gate would be a sight that those who worshiped at the temple would remember and feel much peace and joy upon entering.
Yet the sight contained something, or someone that a few may not think was as lovely. A beggar sits at the gate, and he is probably not alone, asking for alms. What are alms? We have a box, made by the Molly who is so talented, that is for us to place our loose change in to give to those who may come by and are in need. That is actually the definition of almsgiving. Giving a few monies to those who ask and are in need. It is truly an ancient tradition for the poor to seek out God’s people to ask for help. Some of us think that is a beautiful thing.
Peter says to the beggar, “Look at me.” Possibly the beggar was looking down by the time Peter and John had reached him out of humility. Peter wanted to make sure that this person heard what he was about to tell him. This was likely the first time anyone actually spoke to him at the gate.
Peter doesn’t give him what he came to the gate to receive. Instead he is given something much more beautiful. Peter and John come to bring the Gospel. In the name of Jesus, the crippled, paralyzed beggar is told to stand up and walk. And he does. Peter does not do this through his own ability, but in the beautiful name of Jesus.
The other time that this particular word for beautiful is used in the New Testament is in Paul's letter to the Roman church. In Romans 10:15, Paul quotes Isaiah and writes,
15 And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
The good news is also a way of saying the Gospel. The Prophet Isaiah says it this way, in Isaiah 52:7
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
How beautiful is this!
We bring something beautiful, in the name of Jesus. We have healing, restoration, and transformation to offer in the name of Jesus. We have been given this beautiful gift and there is more to give. We can share this beautiful gift with others. In fact, we are supposed to share this gift. We don’t have to worry if this gift is appropriate are good enough, its beauty is beyond compare and is designed for all humanity. How beautiful this gift is for those who are in need? How beautiful are the feet of those who brings the Gospel?
In the Name of God the Father, the beautiful name of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
References:
James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).
William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 1103.