Living in the Image of God M05S02
Peter and John encountered a lame beggar at the temple gate in Jerusalem. The man was there to solicit financial help and expected money from them. However, they could not offer money but recognized they could offer him healing in the name of Jesus. They managed his expectation, by explaining to him that the nature of what they could offer differed from what he expected. Managing beneficiary expectation in a call to compassion is important, to enhance beneficiary appreciation and prepare them for their responsibility of propagating the benefit of the service through others in need. Having modified the man’s expectation, Peter and John offered him a helping hand, which he accepted and was healed instantly. He showed appreciation by following the apostles through the temple court; jumping, dancing, and praising God; in a public testimony regarding his healing.
In this bible study, we discuss managing expectations in a call to compassion, based on Peter-and-John interactions with a lame man they healed in Jerusalem. Peter and John were going to the temple for prayer when they encountered a lame beggar at the temple gate. The man was there to solicit financial assistance and expected a gift of money from them. They, however, realized they could not offer money but instead could offer him healing in the name of Jesus. They managed the man’s expectation, by explaining that the nature of what they could offer him differed from what he expected.
Managing beneficiary expectation in a call to compassion is important: to help the beneficiary understand what is being offered and prepare them to appreciate the offer better. Beneficiary appreciation is important to prepare themselves for their responsibility of propagating the benefit of the human service through others in need.
The lame man understood what they were offering him before accepting their offer. They offered him a helping hand, which he accepted knowing that the hand was not presenting an offer of money. He was healed instantly. He showed appreciation by following the apostles through the temple court; jumping, dancing, and praising God; in a public testimony regarding his healing.
Meaning of ‘Call to Compassion’
Recall that a call to compassion means that God brings the need of a person to the attention of another person. The call recipient is the person that has been alerted to the need of another person. God calls him or her as the intended benefactor or human provider. In a call to compassion, the Needy is the person that has a need to be provided for by the call recipient. The Needy is the intended beneficiary.
God calls the intended benefactor to recognize the need and needy, care about the needy, commit to contributing to alleviate the need, and persevere in seeking to contribute. Additionally, this bible study will lead to understanding that the benefactor responsibility includes managing the beneficiary expectation.
Human Expectation in Call to Compassion
The benefactor responsibility of recognizing the need includes understanding the nature and amount of goods or service needed. Also, the benefactor needs to understand how what he or she can provide differs from the nature and amount of goods or service needed. The benefactor applies the understanding toward managing the beneficiary expectation: to help him or her understand what is offered and how the offer differs from what he or she expects.
Peter and John Encounter a Lame Beggar
Through the healing of a lame beggar, Peter and John provide an example on managing human expectation in a call to compassion. They encountered the lame man at the temple gate in Jerusalem as they were entering the temple for daily prayer: “Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts” [Acts 3:2].
The man was there to solicit financial assistance. Therefore, he expected a gift of money from Peter and John: “When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money” [Acts 3:3].
Understanding the Need
Peter and John recognized that the man expected money from them. They, however, realized that they could not give money but instead could heal the man in the name of Jesus. Therefore, they recognized that what they could offer differed from what the man expected and they needed him to understand the difference. To manage his expectation, Peter explained to the man that they did not have money to give him, but they could offer him healing in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth [Acts 3:4–6]: “Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, ‘Look at us!’ So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’”
Managing Beneficiary Expectation
Having modified the man’s expectation, Peter and John offered him a helping hand. The man recognized that the helping hand was not an offer of money. He accepted and was healed instantly: “Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong” [Acts 3:7].
Peter and John managed the man’s expectation by explaining to him that what they could offer him differed from what he expected. Managing the beneficiary expectation in a call to compassion is important, because an appropriate expectation prepares the beneficiary to appreciate what is provided to them. The beneficiary is more likely to appreciate the human provider and appreciate God for empowering the human provider. Appreciation prepares the beneficiary for their responsibility of propagating the benefit of the human service through others in need.
Compassion by Peter and John for Lame Man
The act of compassion by Peter and John for the benefit of the lame man is described here in several small steps to understand the interactions better.
- Peter and John recognized the man’s need.
- They cared about the man.
- They committed to providing what they could to alleviate his need.
- They understood the man expected money.
- They realized they could not offer him money.
- They also realized they could offer him healing in the name of Jesus.
- They explained to the man that what they could offer him differed from what he expected.
- They offered him a helping hand and the man accepted knowing the hand was not an offer of money.
- They pulled the man up.
- Instantly, the man’s feet and ankles became strong and manifested his healing.
Appreciation and Public Testimony
The man was healed instantly. He showed appreciation by following Peter and John through the temple court, celebrating and praising God [Acts 3:8]: “He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.” His appreciation and celebration became a public testimony regarding his healing [Acts 3: 9–10]: “When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”
Summary of What We Learned
Peter and John encountered a lame beggar at the temple gate in Jerusalem. The man was there to solicit financial help and expected money from them. However, they could not offer money but recognized they could offer him healing in the name of Jesus. They managed his expectation, by explaining to him that the nature of what they could offer differed from what he expected.
Managing beneficiary expectation in a call to compassion is important, to enhance beneficiary appreciation and prepare them for their responsibility of propagating the benefit of the service through others in need.
Having modified the man’s expectation, Peter and John offered him a helping hand, which he accepted and was healed instantly. He showed appreciation by following the apostles through the temple court; jumping, dancing, and praising God; in a public testimony regarding his healing.