The Golden Friday ‘Swarna Velliyazhcha’ – The First Friday after the Feast of Pentecost.

The liturgical calendar of the Malankara Indian Orthodox Church commemorates the first Friday following the Feast of Pentecost as the Golden Friday ‘Swarna Velliyazhcha’ remembering the healing of the lame man, aged over forty years (Acts 4: 22), lame from his mother’s womb. This is the first miracle, by the apostles recorded in the scripture, after the descent of and strengthening through Holy Spirit by St Peter and St John.

This lame man would have been in and around the place, during the ministry of Jesus. Interestingly, he did not get healing from Jesus. When ‘the blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them’ (Matt. 21: 14) Probably, this lame man was left for the disciples to prove the power of Holy Spirit.

“Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. The disciples followed the strict regime of Jewish prayer timings. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb, was carried and laid daily at the gate of the Jerusalem Temple, which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple. This poor, needy, destitute man had nothing beautiful in his life but was laid the Gate ‘Beautiful’ for over forty years. Perhaps something beautiful in his life was going to occur. It occurred after forty years of his life (Acts 4: 22).

Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So, he gave them his attention, and looked at them, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you; In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” The lame man was correct in expecting to receive something from them, but he received much more than the money he would have been satisfied with! Peter did not have any money, but he did have authority from Jesus to heal the sick, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Peter knew what it was like to have God, use him to heal others, because Jesus had trained him in this (Luke 9: 1-6).

And he took the beggar, by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So, he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him“- Acts 3: 1-10. Here unfolds a Great story of God’s great power. The fully grown lame beggar was weary, could not walk, could not work, was at the mercy of Temple-goers. All he could do was wait at the gate. He was so close to the glory and presence of God, but he could never go into that presence, he could only beg at the gate. He was at the right place, at the right time. This led him to be a witness of God’s Grace and received  perfect gift from God. The beggar honoured and worshipped God’s greatness, as God’s grace is satisfying, its sure and sufficient. He walked, he worshipped and wisely gave all Glory to God.

Peter explains to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade, holding on to the beggar’s hand. that when the crippled man, who had never walked a step in his life, believed that Jesus is the Savior he was completely healed. Peter did not worry or agonize about what he did not possess (money) because he knew that he did have something far better – he had the authority of Jesus Christ to perform signs and wonders to promote the Gospel of Love to the glory of God. And so, Peter proclaims healing in the name of Jesus the Nazarene. In the name of Jesus, here mean by His Will and Authority. After 40 years of begging, he became a whole, grown up Christian!!! Are we spiritually lame?

The people in the crowd could personally experience the power of God too. They wondered in awe. Peter shows them how they too can be spiritually healed and saved from their sins. He tells them to repent. “Repent means to turn away from sin and turning to God and accepting the Gift of Salvation that He has given through Jesus’ Death, Burial and Resurrection” (Acts 3: 19).

The lame man believed in and asserted his hope in Christ, Peter (rock, of faith), affirmed his faith in Christ and with ‘John’ (God has been gracious), He experienced the love of God. It is as though the work of the Holy Spirit is shown in the Church, by putting hope in our Lord, through faith working by love and he left leaping with Joy. This miracle points us to Glory of the kingdom of God.