Re-Educating

Acts 10:9-23

⁹The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.

¹⁰And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance

¹¹and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth.

¹²In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.

¹³And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

¹⁴But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”

¹⁵And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”

¹⁶This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

¹⁷Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate

¹⁸and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there.

¹⁹And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.

²⁰Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.”

²¹And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?”

²²And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.”

²³So he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.

Peter had grown up as a “good Jewish” person. His sensibilities and beliefs were deeply set in the ways he had been taught since birth. In Leviticus 11 we find a listing of what was considered clean and unclean when it came to edible animals. The Jews kept to this God imposed code rigorously. I have often wondered why God imposed these rules onto His people. Some of the restrictions were clearly for health reasons and I have to assume that the rest were simply to set God’s people apart from those who didn’t believe Yahweh was the only True God. Regardless of His reasons, these were clearly stated regulations and God expected compliance. Now Jesus comes along with a new way and Peter is in for some re-education.

Jesus is telling Peter is time to embrace a new way of thinking and He is employing a brilliant object lesson to make His point. As three Gentiles are on their way to pick up Peter and take him deep into the Gentile community, he experiences a vision from God. In this vision the barriers between Jew and Gentile are taken down. Peter is encouraged to eat that which has been forbidden all of his life. It takes three tries but finally God makes His point and Peter understands it is time to think about Gentiles differently and see them as acceptable in God’s Kingdom. The lines between people groups are completely removed showing Peter that we all stand equal before a Holy God. All are worthy of hearing the Gospel and so Peter takes on the challenge of sharing the story of Jesus with those outside of the Jewish community. It’s a bold step but then God is all about the bold step.

I can say with certainty that there are issues that I hold onto with both hands that God would have me release into His will instead of my own. Most certainly some of my sensibilities stand in opposition to His ways and my fingers need to be pried off of those tightly held beliefs. And honestly, I don’t even want to type that into the post for today. I would rather God leave me in with my safely held ideas – even if they’re wrong. I admire the fact that eventually Peter is convinced and he begins to move in a direction that I doubt he ever imagined was possible. Now he heads into the home of a Gentile to share his precious Savior with those who previously had been nothing to him. I pray that God would make me more willing to let go of that which is not of Him and allow me to take some bold steps that will further His Kingdom.