In a normal, everyday situation, guidance is given to Peter to tell the lame man at the gate of the temple to look at them both. “And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, ‘Look at us.'” (Acts 3:4 ESV). The lame beggar they encountered on the way was hoping for a monetary gift but he got something greater. I found on the internet a sermon on this passage that Pastor Jerry Shirley had titled, “The Man Who Asked for Alms and Got Legs!”
“And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them” (verse 5). The word “expecting” in verse 5 in many translations is a different word from the positive expectation in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things expected.” With the lame man it was a possible hope but not one with assurance. He was ready to receive a gift but had no foundation yet to make it a certainty. See my article “Expectation: the Key to Believing God.”
Peter explained to him that he had a temporary cash-flow problem, yet “Such as I have give I thee” (KJV). I just love the familiar yet old-worldly flow of the Authorised version. “What I do have I give to you” (ESV). “Peter said, ‘I don’t have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you…'” (MSG).
Some comment that the verse proves the disciples were poor, but other passages disprove that. As Sydney Smith wrote in the late 1700s, “Poverty of course is no disgrace to a man, but it is confoundedly inconvenient.” Yet when you have Christ in you and your God supplies all your need according to His riches in glory, then you have to work hard to be poor. Just because you have no coins in your pocket on a particular day does not make you poor.
“Such as I have…” What did Peter have? That is the question that needs to be considered here.
Whatever it was, it worked! You can only ever give out of what you have. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to give money “out of what you have” (II Corinthians 8:11), because that was their responsibility. And here in Acts 3 it was Peter’s responsibility to give out of what he knew he had.
Peter was not a model disciple of Jesus, yet now he acted upon what he knew he had spiritually! Jesus had reminded his disciples on the night before he was crucified what he had taught them (see John chapters 14 to 16), so someone had been listening! He didn’t yet know the “all truth” of John 16:13, as much of this came through the apostle Paul later, but he knew enough.
- Peter knew that he had he had the authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Christian’s power of attorney, so he used it to perform this miracle (John 14:12, 15:16). He later explained this in Acts 3:16 and to the rulers and elders in Acts 4.
- Peter knew he had the Comforter in him (John 14:17), for he had been in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost; he had been “endued”, “clothed with” like a garment “with power from on high”; wall-to-wall with God’s spirit!
- Peter knew he had Christ within him and he was in Christ (John 14:20). Peter may not have known the extent and greatness of the power of Christ’s presence and of his own position, but he believed what Jesus had said about them. For a Christian, “Such as I have…” is always better than money!
And we could continue to explore the teachings of Jesus to his disciples. Often he taught that what was happening was to fulfill prophecy or was required by the law of Moses, yet on other occasions he taught the disciples in private what his parables really meant and what would happen in the future after his death. All of that would take a thick volume to discuss. As has been well said, only the truth you know will set you free (John 8:32). Thank God you are well provided for as a believer, as God set in the church “teachers” (Ephesians 4:11).
Why don’t we see these events regularly in the western world? Because we don’t know, having been “dumned-down” by the preacher. or we just don’t believe what we have! Paul’s revelation later taught us that we should “put on Christ” in our minds (Romans 13:14, Galatians 3:27), we have “put on the new man” (Colossians 3:10), we have all that God had promised the disciples. I have taught for over four decades that you have all need for every situation you will run across. With the knowing comes responsibility. “Such as I have give I you… and leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God” (Acts 3:6,8).
Great perspective! What a valuable insight for us to keep in our hearts to have expectations from God. We do it if our natural Father was rich and capable. This will help me communicate some things that was needful to pass along. Wonderful timing. Thanks so much Peter.