Acts 3:1-10 | Worship in the Good, in the Bad, and With HopeНамуна

Acts 3 starts with Peter and John going to the temple at the time of the evening sacrifice. Two times were kept each day – in the morning around nine and in the afternoon around three (the same time when Jesus was crucified). Think of it like church services. The temple may be open constantly for people coming to offer personal sacrifices or pray, but here is when the masses gathered.

Like a prominent church, especially in a downtown urban area, beggars would come hoping for a bit of charity.

Peter and John aren’t the only believers to come across this. Who hasn’t been on their way to some event in a prominent place, only to come across a broken person begging? And with it, all kinds of questions come flooding in. How did it come to this point for this person? Where is their family? Is this legit, or are they taking advantage of me? Is anything I give them going to make any difference? Do I make eye contact? If I do, how much do I engage? Do I talk to them (and if I do, am I willing to get bogged down by them)? Is it even safe? Or do I just give a dollar or two so I can assuage my guilt and get on my way? And if I give them money, will they just use it for drugs or alcohol? Or worse, is this part of a begging ring?

Many of us have been there. Peter and John were too.

There’s so much to this story. But let’s not miss something basic. God has compassion on the broken. Those first followers of Jesus? They did too.