Thursday, July 16, 2015

Today’s Reading  |  Acts 10:17–33
Now while Peter was greatly puzzled about what to make of the vision that he had seen, suddenly the men sent by Cornelius appeared. They were asking for Simon’s house and were standing by the gate. They called out to ask whether Simon, who was called Peter, was staying there.

While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look, three men are searching for you. Now get up, go down, and go with them without hesitation; for I have sent them.” So Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for your coming?” They answered, “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.” So Peter invited them in and gave them lodging. The next day he got up and went with them, and some of the believers from Joppa accompanied him. The following day they came to Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. On Peter’s arrival Cornelius met him, and falling at his feet, worshiped him. But Peter made him get up, saying, “Stand up; I am only a mortal.” And as he talked with him, he went in and found that many had assembled; and he said to them, “You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. Now may I ask why you sent for me?” Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock, I was praying in my house when suddenly a man in dazzling clothes stood before me. He said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is called Peter; he is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ Therefore I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. So now all of us are here in the presence of God to listen to all that the Lord has commanded you to say.” (NRSV)

Reflection
Immediately before this passage in Acts, Peter has had a vision of a sheet coming down from heaven with all kinds of animals, fish, and reptiles on it. He hears God telling him to kill and eat what he sees. Since Peter is a devout Jew, he balks at this, declaring that he has never eaten anything “unclean”—that is, not kosher. But God tells him to consider nothing that the Lord has made as “unclean.”

The vision is a metaphor. Peter does not, in fact, have a meal of non-kosher food. Rather, he is sent to the home of Cornelius, a Gentile and a centurion—a member of the Roman army.

This is a huge moment for Peter and for the fledgling Christian church. In his visit to Cornelius, Peter became the first of the apostles to preach to the Gentiles. With this one act, Peter expanded the group of people eligible to be Christians to the entirety of humankind.

The idea that the grace of God is for all people, not just for a select group, may be one of the most revolutionary ideas in the Bible. Since the dawn of civilization, people have sought to be special—to distinguish themselves from others. But the news that Jesus brought, and that Peter was charged with spreading, is that we are all the same in the eyes of God. We all have value in God’s eyes. This is our message as well—not that we are members of a select club, but that we welcome all to join with us as members of Christ’s family.

Prayer
Dear God, thank you for making me a child of yours. Make me mindful that everyone I see during my day is a child of yours, as well. Amen.

Written by Juli Crabtree, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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