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Friday
January 29, 2010
Embodying Hope and Celebrating our Unity in Christ Jesus
Introduction
Acts 11:1-18: Peter reports to the church in Jerusalem. When he arrives,
some of the Jewish followers argue with him. They want the Gentile
followers to be circumcised, and they criticize Peter for staying and
eating with Gentiles. Peter tells them about his vision and explains that
God gave the Gentiles the same gift of grace that the Jewish people
received.
Today's Scripture: Acts 11:18When they heard this, they stopped their criticism and praised God, saying,
"Then God has given to the Gentiles also the opportunity to repent and
live!"
How is this Scripture passage speaking to me today? Today's Reading
1The
apostles and the other believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles
also had received the word of God.
2When Peter went to Jerusalem, those who were in
favor of circumcising Gentiles criticized him, saying,
3“You were a guest in the home
of uncircumcised Gentiles, and you even ate with them!”
4So Peter gave them a complete account of what had
happened from the very beginning:
5While I was praying in the city of
Joppa, I had a vision. I saw something coming down that looked like a
large sheet being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it stopped
next to me.
6I looked closely inside and saw domesticated and
wild animals, reptiles, and wild birds.
7Then I heard a voice saying to me,
“Get up, Peter; kill and eat!”
8But I said,
“Certainly not, Lord! No ritually unclean or defiled food
has ever entered my mouth.”
9The voice spoke again from heaven,
“Do not consider anything unclean that God has declared
clean.”
10This happened three times, and finally the whole
thing was drawn back up into heaven.
11At that very moment three men who had been sent
to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where I was
staying.
12The Spirit told me to go with them without
hesitation. These six fellow believers from Joppa accompanied me to
Caesarea, and we all went into the house of Cornelius.
13He told us how he had seen an angel standing in
his house, who said to him,
Send someone to Joppa for a man whose full name is Simon Peter.
14He will speak words to you by which you and all
your family will be saved.
15And when I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came
down on them just as on us at the beginning.
16Then I remembered what the Lord
had said:
“John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with
the Holy Spirit.”
17It is clear that God gave those Gentiles the
same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ; who
was I, then, to try to stop God!
18When they heard this, they stopped their
criticism and praised God, saying,
“Then God has given to the Gentiles also the opportunity
to repent and live!”
Reflect
The Law of Moses said Jewish people were not to spend time with Gentiles or
eat food Gentiles had touched. They were shocked that Peter had done this
and thought this had made him unclean. Why might it have been difficult
for some of the Jewish followers to change their way of thinking about
this? Has it ever been difficult for you to change the way you understand
God?
Pray
Loving God, it is easy to get stuck in my understanding of your way. I
forget that faith is a lifelong journey. Reveal yourself to me anew, that
I may have the opportunity to know you more deeply. Amen.
Prayer Concern
Those who are stubborn
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