We Give What We Have

Peter said to the crippled man at the temple gate: What I have I give to you. It is the same Peter who denied Christ at three occasions not very long before, who then obviously hadn’t any inner resources to draw from. Now he stands in front of the crippled man with boldness and confidence uttering words that would have been unheard of before the cross. Peter’s transformation is stunning.


What was it Peter gave to the crippled man? To put it bluntly: Peter gave the man God. The Old Testament temple is a type or shadow telling of the human temples to come - temples not made from stone. When Salomon consecrated the temple God took possession of it and swallowed it up in Himself. Every nook and cranny was filled up with His presence. In like manner our human temples are consecrated by Jesus. We irrevocably are filled up with God whether we know it or not.


From Pentecost onwards this has become a common experience for mankind. Everywhere people are accepting Christ and are filled up with God, in fact to the degree that is runs over. Peter in this sense is in no way unique. Wherever we go we give what we have, that is, God. We make deposits of Him everywhere, and whenever we make a deposit someone is affected. Our deposits are like those ointment cloths Peter left behind and which brought healing to many.


Sometimes we witness God in action through us, and crippled are empowered to walk in broad daylight. At other times there are no explicit proofs of the effect of our deposits. What perhaps most of us struggle with is this feeling that God hasn’t taken possession of us and that we thus have nothing to offer. But, we are faith people and our inner witness, the Spirit, corroborates with our faith so that our boldness and confidence is always on the increase.


Peter gave what he had by faith and so do we. We assume by faith that wherever we are we deposit God spontaneously because He has swallowed us up. When or how what He has disseminated through us will blossom isn’t our business. All we do is trusting that we manifest Him wherever we go and leave the rest to Him. What we have is the infinite God who has created the heavens and the earth, and through the union with Him that is what we give, and it is marvelous in our eyes.