Have any of you attempted to fix a problem only to find that new problems are created as a result? My father used to operate a radiator repair shop in my hometown and one of the problems that people would bring in to him was a plugged radiator. When a radiator is plugged the coolant no longer flows properly and the vehicle overheats. My father’s solution for the plugged radiator was to place it in a caustic boil-out bath which would clear the build-up out of the radiator. Unfortunately, oftentimes the parts of the radiator that were plugged were actually preventing the radiator from leaking coolant out. The plug was fixed but now a new problem presented itself because of that fix. So, my father would then get to work soldering the leaks shut. Eventually the chain of problems would be completely repaired and my father could return the radiator to its owner. My father’s repair work was thorough but often entailed multiple steps to fix the presenting problem.
In light of my father’s work, I have to admit that the thoroughness of God sometimes catches me off-guard. When He fixes something, it seems to be comprehensive and immediate…there is no multi-stage process for Him. All of this is at the forefront of my mind because I recently read the miraculous healing of the man at the Gate Beautiful in Acts 3.
1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 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. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 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.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 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. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 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.
We read later in verse 4:21 that the man was over 40 years old when he was healed and he has never been able to walk on his own. He is carried to the Gate every day in order to beg for money and presumably carried back to where he lives. Interestingly enough, this is also one of the only healings performed where the person didn’t actually ask for healing (at least that is recorded). Yet we see that the healing is complete in every way.
If we were to compare this to radiator repair, we would expect the healing to address the lameness and simply fix that. This is what the passage records for us regarding the man’s feet and ankles. To be honest that is how I have read this passage before. However, like a newly unplugged radiator, healing the lameness should have led to a new problem: the man still shouldn’t be able to walk. Having watched two toddlers in my house learn to walk over the past few years I know that the ability to walk is not an innate one…it takes time, practice, and countless failures. Yet the story records him not standing but jumping to his feet and walking. We further read this continued into the temple courts with him walking, jumping and praising God. In a moment, a man with 40 years of brokenness is transformed into a new creation empowered to live the rest of his life more fully.
As I spent more time in reflection on this passage, I was struck more and more by how little this thoroughness of God should surprise me. It is the exact same way that He heals at our moment of salvation. He heals the immediate problem of death being the appropriate punishment for our sin by offering justification through Jesus Christ. Again, in radiator repair terms, a new believer should be marginally spiritual due to inexperience, yet this is often the time of greatest spiritual awareness. A person has spent their entire life in spiritual lameness and suddenly he/she leaps up and walks around praising God for His goodness. As Paul writes in 2 Cor. 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” In a moment, a man/woman with any number of years of spiritual brokenness is transformed into a new creation empowered to live the rest of his/her life more fully.
As much as I appreciate my father’s ability to fix radiators, I am thankful that God does not have to fix things bit by bit; He is able to fix comprehensively. This story of the man healed completely from all aspects of his debilitating lameness gives me greater anticipation of the promised healing of the entire creation that is promised in Revelation and culminates with God saying He is making everything new. There will not be a learning curve in Heaven; we will be instantly empowered to live out eternity fully. Praise God for who He is and how He works! Blessings to you all!
