In Acts 8 Philip escapes from persecution in Jerusalem and went to Samaria where he preached the word of the Gospel of Christ and prayed for those possessed by evil spirits, and those who were crippled. He brought healing and joy wherever he went. One of his converts was a local celebrity, Simon, a sorcerer, who had quite a following. Simon, we are told, believed, was baptized and followed Philip everywhere. He jumped onto the bandwagon of this new movement.

"Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.

The apostles, men like us, human beings, are on their way to worship when they encounter the man crippled from birth. Who do you encounter at worship and how do you respond?

Despite all his instruction the apostles had preconceived ideas of what the kingdom of God would look like. They asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" In other words they hoped that he would throw out the Roman authorities so that they could introduce their own political agenda. They were still thinking that the Gospel of Jesus was about a social, economic and political revolution, the building of the kingdom of God on earth.