November 5, 2013
I sit, once again alone, against the unforgiving stone wall that has held me captive some 40 years. The morning chill has long since left and the heat of the day now pours over me with a fresh ferocity, unrelenting, unyielding in its pursuit of my last bit of sweat. My loneliness fades quickly as a mite bounces off of my chest and down beside my left leg and a bit out of my reach. “Why must they continually throw the coins at me? Have I been laying here so long that I have become some type of permanent fixture and not human at all?” Again, unfortunately, my thoughts bring me back, the same as yesterday, as they replay themselves over and over in the prison of my mind, where they are held, bound by time, ample time, and without any hope of release.
One thought in particular haunts me as I sit, numb, in my never changing situation. “He passed by so many times…did he not see me, surely he must have? The miracles he performed were countless as many, some that I knew well, were being healed with a simple word and or a simple touch. I saw, clearly, the overwhelming compassion in his eyes and there was something still greater that I could somehow sense; his hurt and his pain as he walked by slowly so often. I knew he could comprehend my hurt, my pain and yet for some reason, he would pass by without notice. Was I not worthy? I had become so consistent with my begging that I had not realized it was him as he walked ever so close that one day. Should I have spoken louder or should I have called out his name…Jesus?” Might he then have taken notice?
A tear brings me back to reality as I taste the saltiness on the edge of my lips. Approaching I see two men, two that I had seen countless other times walking towards the gate. Supposedly, they were two disciples that walked daily with Jesus, the same Jesus whom had been crucified just months earlier. They seemed to be in deep thought and discussion as they slowly came nearer still. My mind began to race, my heart pounding as something within me stirred me to a frantic state. Though my lips were parched and my breathing was beyond shallow, something moved within me that I could not explain and now just steps away, my eyes met the one they call Peter, and I once again, but with greater volume, asked for help.
I was nervous at first as he spoke softly to me but then he surprised me with his words. He told me to “rise up and walk.” At first and briefly I thought, I have been lame from birth; my muscles are atrophied and my bones are weak from inactivity. Does he really think I can just get up and walk? Yet when he spoke the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, something began to happen within my being as a warmth ran through my legs first and then throughout my body. I am not sure how long I sat there in my thoughts and in the midst of this inner heat but Peter then reached down with his right hand and grasped mine as he looked deep into my eyes…as if to say again without speaking the words “rise up and walk.” Without any further hesitation, a faith welled up within and I leapt for the first time in my life to my feet. I stood alone, without any outside assistance and simply began to walk. In my excitement, I had not realized that we three, Peter, John and myself now had passed through the gate named Beautiful and into the temple area, an area that I had only witnessed from the outside for so many years. I was no longer captive, the chains and shackles which held me relentlessly had been broken and my thoughts now became words. Words that had been nonexistent for years poured forth in volume to the masses in the form of praise to the God of my healing and to Jesus Christ, my deliverer!
There is so much to contemplate and I am hesitant to pose questions but I yield to the Spirit and can only hope that he would tap away at the keyboard through my fingers.
Are there any that might be reading in a state of bondage, to whatever might be binding you? Are there any that wonder as to “what if I had only done something different that day?” Are there any that feel as if the world passes them by without a care? Are there any that feel homeless, helpless, hungry, thirsty, alone, worthless in the eyes of the world?
I can only offer these truths…He sees you clearly, He knows of your existence, He knows of our situation, He longs to draw nearer still towards thee, He longs for relationship with you and longs for you to recognize that you are His son and that you are His daughter. His love, and a love so great, can be yours this very moment. Simply ask Him into your heart…He will come in with a flood!
Or, are we heirs of such wonderment and are found wanting; hoarding just for self? Do we for some reason simply walk by without regard for those very sons, our brothers, those daughters, our sisters, that are homeless, helpless, hungry, thirsty, and or alone? Do we speak hope in the form of His name, Jesus, and reach down with our strength to those that many refuse to see and or help? Are we allowing Him access to our hearts, offering up the words of John the Baptist, “he must increase and I must decrease” daily? Is this fullness within, His fullness, being released and given freely? Forgive me Lord!
In 1 Peter 3:16 he notes keenly “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” Let us be ever so careful not to overlook one great exortation…he tells us to “sanctify” the Lord God in our hearts. This word means to withdraw from fellowship with the world by first gaining fellowship with God. Let us tarry no longer as we are implored to get to know the Father intimately first and in so doing our hearts will be filled with nothing less than His fullness. We will bear a fruit so aromatic, so very ripe, so pleasing to the eye that those in our company, those that would be starving, those in utter desperation, and those in utter helplessness cannot yield further to the Holy Spirits wooing and simply shall ask of our hope. Let us in reverential meekness pour forth an abundance of that which consumes us and let us walk away empty, giving all that we have.
Father, we ask that you forgive us for so many things. Yet at the same time, we cannot look back and only, in humility, look to the day, today! We need your loving touch that we inturn might be the conduit of the same to one that you are concerned with today. Let our eyes look beyond self, let us look out and into the fields for truly the harvest is plentiful and as you wept years ago, you surely must still do so today. We have become so self centered that we are self enclosed and without purpose. Your sons and your daughters perish each day without knowing you and the love you possess for them. I am reminded of Jesus as he spoke these words in Nazareth and know, with everything within me, that they ring true this day as well.
Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” SANCTIFY us Lord that we might be chosen to share Jesus with those that are begging for such!
I am yours…Daniel
Acts 3: 1-8 “Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. (3:00 pm) And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.”