Acts 10:17-23
While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” Peter went down and said to the men, “I'm the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?” The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
Reflection
The vision that Peter had of the sheet being lowered from heaven with the unclean animals was clearly a sign to Peter that God had not only declared unclean animals clean and fit to eat but that non-Jewish people were clean and that God loved them and wanted the good news of Jesus offered to them as well.
Up to this time the proclamation of the gospel was almost entirely presented to Jews. Those who followed the way of Jesus continued to practice Judaism and they accepted Jesus as the promised Messiah. Now, God was telling Peter and the entire Christian community that it was acceptable to step beyond the old boundaries and offer the salvation of Jesus to all people. This represented a change that was so sweeping and revolutionary that it would be hard for us to begin to fathom how radically things were changed for these Jewish Christians.
They now, by the leading and prompting of God, had to do things that before this time would have been
off-limits and taboo.
Does it make you uncomfortable to see the Christian faith presented and lived out in entirely different ways than we have ever seen before?
When it comes to reaching people who are far away from God does God want us to be willing to change in order to make the gospel meaningful and relevant to them?
