11:1 Now the apostles
and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the
word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision
contended with him, 3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with
them!”
4 But Peter explained
it to them in order from the beginning, saying: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa
praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great
sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. 6 When I
observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth,
wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice
saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For
nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice
answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call
common.’ 10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into
heaven. 11 At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was,
having been sent to me from Caesarea. 12 Then the Spirit told me to go with
them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we
entered the man’s house. 13 And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in
his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose
surname is Peter, 14 who will tell you words by which you and all your household
will be saved.’ 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as
upon us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He
said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy
Spirit.’ 17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we
believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”
18 When they heard
these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has
also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”
This creates such a mix of emotions. The most unexpected one
was humour. The most gratifying was harmony. Humour because when Peter was
essentially attacked for going to "them" he pretty much said "I
didn't do it, God did it!" Harmony because their anger and prejudice was
turned to acceptance and praise.
First Peter humbly followed God’s lead and now back home in
territory hostile to the Gentiles the believers also humbly follow His lead.
Many today feel the Bible is outdated and irrelevant. How
untrue. The events of the past few days in the United States would all be
quickly solved if we would submit to God's heart like Peter and those in
Jerusalem did. I can assure the hatred of the Jews against Gentiles was not
less than the racism in the United States. It was worse. Much worse. Yet when
God showed them the error of their ways they humbly submitted to Him. It was
nothing short of miraculous, a miracle far greater and far more needed than
healing leprosy or other diseases. If any part of the human body is diseased it
is our heads and hearts. We hold ideas in our minds and hatred and prejudice in
our hearts that is like poison.
I understand the desire to protest injustice. I sympathize
with the feelings to exact revenge. Yet if history has taught us anything it is
that responding in like manner to evil only creates more evil.
Until we submit to the truth that God has created from one
blood all the peoples of the earth things will never change. Until all people
regardless of gender or heritage or colour or nationality or sexual expression
etc... are seen as and treated as equal the events of these past weeks will
continue to intensify all over the globe.
The Bible is relevant. God has the answers. Truth is the
antidote. If hard hearted Jews raised and immersed in generations of bigotry
and prejudiced could come under the heart changing influence of God so can we.
The miracle can be ours as well. It begins with me. It begins with you. It
begins on our street. It begins in our neighbourhood. Pray for your police
officers. Pray for the marginalized. Smile at "them". Buy them a
drink. Hug someone. Love conquers fear. It tears down walls. It creates friends
where once there were enemies.
Give God glory for creating us so different yet exactly the
same. One blood. Love Wins.
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