There are 12 traffic lights between my house and this church. I pass through these intersections at least twice everyday on my way to and from work, and many days, more often than that. Over the course of one year that means that I drive through these 12 intersections on Route 50 and Route 236 more than 600 times. You'd think that I would be exceptionally familiar with the 5 mile stretch of road that I travel so routinely, and in many ways, I am. I know exactly where the bottlenecks will occur; I know when to be in the left lane or the right to optimize my chances of getting through the lights. On the flip side, I am sometimes amazed that I can drive this stretch of road without really seeing anything at all. I am so familiar with it that I pass through these dozen intersections without noticing the patterns of the clouds in the sky or the changing colors of the leaves. I don't notice whether the people waiting at the bus stops are women or men, young or old. They are just part of the background that is my daily commute, and I don't pay them much real attention.

We all have intersections that are a normal, routine part of our lives, some physical and logistical like the traffic intersections we pass on our way to work, school, or home. Some are relational, people with whom we intersect everyday as co-workers, family, friends, and those who service various aspects of our lives. What is true for us is also true for the men described in our Scripture passage this morning. We're told that Peter and John are going to the temple to participate in the daily service of afternoon prayer. This was not a special event either for the temple or for them, but a part of the rhythm of daily life for Jews in Jerusalem. We are told that the lame beggar in the story was also experiencing a day of "business as usual." This day, like all of his days, someone carried him to the temple gate where his task was to beg for enough alms from the crowds passing by that he could eat and survive another day. Like my drive home after work, for Peter, John, and the beggar, this was just an ordinary afternoon, with everyone going about their regular business.

But, in the providential economy of God, this was an afternoon when the ordinary intersected with the ordinary and something extraordinary happened. It is quite possible that the disciples had passed by this beggar before, as part of the urban crowd that hustled through this city gate everyday. But this day, the beggar, from his position on the ground by the gate, has a clear view of Peter and John on their way to the temple and makes a beggar's plea of them, similar to a homeless person holding a cup toward us, hoping for a few coins or a dollar bill to be dropped in. The Scripture makes a point of telling us that Peter and John responded to the man's plea by "look[ing] intently at him." In the course of this ordinary day, something about the man or the man's request makes Peter and John stop and take notice.

From the beggar's point of view, this must have been a moment of great excitement and anticipation. Confined to one spot on the ground, wherever he had been placed earlier in the day, the beggar's survival depended on being able to attract people's attention. Peter and John have seen him, turned towards him, and then addressed him by saying, "Look at us." The beggar, of course, looks toward them; in fact Acts tells us that he "fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them." This is a moment of salvation for this beggar, the moment when his survival for one more day will be secured.

Peter and John are looking intently at the man, and the man has fixed his attention on the two disciples, but that is not all. Obviously, the two disciples have done more than look; they have altered their path to the temple in order to be within arms reach of the beggar. "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk." Peter reaches towards the man, grabs him by the hand, and lifts him to a standing position, a position the man has not known in his whole life. In that instant, a lame beggar walks and jumps and uses legs that have never had the strength or the health to support him. Without question, something extraordinary has occurred.

It would be easy, I think, for us to read this text and conclude, well, that was then and this is now and miracles don't happen on the side of the street in 21st century America. We ask a legitimate question when we wonder how this passage speaks to us today, and so I want us to carefully examine what really occurred in this story. First, notice that Peter and John had not set out to be miracle workers on this day; they were simply going about their regular business, keeping their normal schedule, being where they were supposed to be when they were supposed to be there. As Peter and John go about the business of life, this opportunity presents itself, and as we go about our lives—taking kids to soccer, buying groceries, commuting to work, changing diapers, mowing the lawn—opportunities are also all around us, if we will be open and attentive to seeing them.

Second, when opportunity knocked, Peter and John responded. The two disciples were attentive to the needs and to the opportunities around them. They were even willing to go a little out of their way, to walk over to the lame beggar and extend a hand to him, to be involved in the life of this man who was a stranger to them. Peter and John are modeling a ministry of presence, of involvement, and this involvement requires boldness and courage. Making ourselves available to others, looking for opportunities "as we go" to serve, sharing the love of Christ with those with whom we intersect every day or those whom God will place in our paths involves some personal risk. But, Peter and John were faithful to respond, and we also are presented with the choice of response.

Third, notice that Peter and John's response did not rely primarily on their own natural gifts. They did not have the exact skill set that the situation seemed to require. They had no money to give to solve the man's continual struggle for existence, and they had no medical expertise with which to solve the man's physical issues. So, what did they bring? They brought their willingness to be involved, to get their hands dirty in meeting the needs of the world. They brought their passion for seeing people restored to wholeness. They brought their love for the world which Jesus modeled for them as he taught them to be fishers of men and women. They brought their experience, their own personal knowledge of how a relationship with Jesus Christ can transform a person's life. They were confident of offering a transformed life to this lame beggar because of what they had experienced in their own lives. The Scripture sums up all of this by calling it faith. What Peter and John offered this stranger who had never walked was their faith in Jesus Christ, and when their faith met this man's needs, GOD did something extraordinary. We need to be careful to grasp that Peter and John are not the miracle workers in this story. God is the miracle worker. God is the one who transforms this man's life, and that is Good News. That is the gospel.

The Gospel is good news for us because, like Peter and John, we live in a world of overwhelming need. Hunger, poverty, hatred, physical infirmities and mental disorders, the devastation of war—what are our resources, our talents, our education and experience, against such overwhelming concerns? Even Jesus, despite all the miracles he performed, acknowledged that the poor would always be with us. The need will never be anything but constant and relentless. But, the great news for us is that the need is not the starting point of the conversation. God is the beginning of the conversation. God has created each of us with a unique combination of gifts, of personality, of life experiences and of passions that arise out of our unique individuality. God then calls us to community, to be part of a body of faith, the Body of Christ, through which God calls us to use our gifts and the totality of who we are. We offer our gifts and our faith, and remember that Jesus told us that all that's required is faith the size of a tiny mustard seed will move mountains. When we bring those two things, God is responsible for the rest. God alone is responsible for the outcome.

Over the past four weeks, we have looked at the intersections of our lives with God and with one another. Last week Henry focused our attention on the gifts which the Holy Spirit gives to us in abundance, and he asked us to begin to think about the abilities and gifts with which we each have been individually gifted. Today, we see the intersection of gifts and needs. Needs exist in our families, our church, our community, and our world. As important as those needs are, we offer our time and talent to serve others not because we can change lives, but because God changes lives and it is our deep desire and privilege to share in the ministry that God is doing. As you continue to think and pray this week about the commitment of time and talent that you will make next Sunday, remember that the question to ponder is not just about the gifts and talents you have, but where do you feel God speaking to you? What excites your passion, your imagination? What makes you smile? Where God calls, God equips. The two most important offerings we make are our willingness and faith. God then uses our gifts and talents in extraordinary ways. Amen.