“Looked Intently”... Is That Creepy?

Read: Acts 14

There is an interesting phrase that pops up for a second time in this chapter of Acts. The scene is Paul interacting with a man who has been crippled since his birth. (cf. v.8-10) This crippled man was in the crowd listening to Paul preach the gospel. Some how, Paul’s gaze lands upon him; and the scriptures say that: “Paul, looking intently at him” and saw that he had “faith to be made well”. (v.9) This phrase, “looked intently”, stats out to me. How aware are we as we go through our daily life of those people around us… those in the proverbial crowd? Paul was here preaching with a great crowd around him, and yet he saw this man… this cripple. He could have easily been consumed with the “task at hand”, and yet he was some how sensitive to those around him. I wonder what it was like in that moment? Did Paul pause and stop what he was saying? Did he sort of tilt his head to the side? What does it mean to “look intently” at someone anyways?

For God’s people, life is always deeper than simply the task at hand. There is always more. There is an added layer of awareness that God calls us too. The spiritual realm is all around us. The needs of the people we come into contact with are great. It is never just about the basic task… it is also about the Kingdom of God. What does Paul see when he looks intently at this man? “And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had FAITH to be made well, said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.”(v.9-10) How did Paul see someone’s “faith”? What is that? Did this guy have some Christian t-shirt on… or a WWJD bracelet? How can we see someone’s faith by “looking intently” at them?

The truth is that you can’t really… at least not with “natural” eyes alone. We need to be given “eyes to see”. (cf. Luke 10:23) As God’s children, we have been given eyes to see the world around us through a different lens. God is revealing to us, his children, the ways that he has hidden HIS “faith” and goodness in the world around us. He is opening our eyes to the crowd… he is lifting our gaze from the mundane task at hand and leading us into something deeper. When we “look intently” we are looking with the eyes of Christ. We asking to see the world the way that God sees it… to see others the way that God sees them. This is not without its challenges.

The previous time we saw this phrase was a much different setting. Paul was preaching the gospel to the proconsul and there was an evil magician trying to thwart his work. (cf. Acts 13:8) Look at what it says: “But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?” (v.13:9-10) Paul looked at the evil magician the same way he looked at the crippled man. In both instances he “looked intently”. In each instance the Holy Spirit gave him eyes to see the spiritual realm… the truth about that person. I believe Paul felt the same way about Elymas the magician as he did the cripple. There is a certain pity to be had for those trapped in sin… a certain sensitivity. What if Paul saw Elymas as more akin to one who was crippled by sin and in need of “healing” than he did an opponent that needed to be destroyed. It is interesting that God strikes Elymas blind, another malady that we see Jesus and the Apostles healing often. (cf. v. 13:11) Sin is the sickness that Jesus is the remedy for. When we look out into the world as God’s children, we need to “look intently” upon not only those who are “crippled” but also those who are “deceived by the evil one”. This is not always easy, because often times we feel animosity towards those who we see as opposing the message… and reserve compassion and pity for only those who are ill or downtrodden. I believe Paul models a sensitivity to both. We need the Holy Spirit to open our eyes… and allow us to “look intently” in both cases.

Are you aware of what is happening around you? DO you notice the crowd? Would you even be aware of those opposing the gospel or those who are “crippled”? What if we started to see those angry opposers as more akin to cripples in need of healing than enemies in need of destruction? Are you willing to embrace a life that moves beyond the surface level task at hand? Are you ready for God to open your eyes to the Kingdom of God around you? Who will you “look intently” upon today? Love you guys. - JDP