Dietary Laws Set Faithful From Pagans
Dearly Beloved Foothills Family and Friends,
The powerful series on “Living Our Mission“ brings us to Acts 10:1-33 where we see God dealing with Peter and transforming the prejudicial attitudes in his heart.
The Holy Spirit has been preparing Cornelius to hear the Gospel. God now has to prepare Peter to go and explain the Gospel to a “hated/unclean” Gentile.
In verse 9: “Peter went up to the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.” Most of the houses then had flat roofs that people used for recreation, rest and reflection because the rooftop was often cool and quiet.
Because it was noon, Peter was hungry and wanted something to eat. As he smelled the aroma of fresh falafel and hot buttered bagels, he fell into a trance.
Verses 11-12 tell us what happened next: “And saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.”
I'm sure he wasn't expecting to hear the voice say in verse 13: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
Peter had kept the Old Testament dietary laws his entire life. He believed he could do serious damage to his spiritual life if he ate any “unclean” food.
The Kosher diet was one way for God's people to remain separate and holy among pagan people.
After giving His people a list of foods to avoid, God says in Leviticus 20:26: “You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.”
A powerful tension existed between Jew and Gentile. If a Jew went into Gentile country, they would “shake the dust” off their feet before returning to Israel because Gentile dirt was considered defiled.
If milk was drawn from a cow by Gentile hands, a Jew could not drink. No Jew would ever eat with a Gentile.
I love how gracious God is with Peter as the voice comes a second time: “What God has made clean, do not call common.” Verse 16 tells us this voice came three times, “and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.”
This was a crossroads moment for Peter. In God’s sovereign timing, at the exact time Peter is perplexed, “Behold the people who were sent by Cornelius” stood at the gate and asked if this was the place where Peter was staying.
This process was used by God to adjust and change Peter's prejudicial attitudes and to align Peter with God's activity in the larger world. God is preparing Cornelius for salvation while preparing Peter to get rid of his prejudice and bigotry towards Gentiles.
The word “prejudice” means, to “prejudge.” It’s wrong to divide people according to race.
The church is like the linen sheet—we’re filled with all races, ethnicities, and political perspectives. One day we will all be together in heaven! This theme is picked up in Ephesians 3:6: “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.”
Galatians 3:28-29 adds: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.”
In our hearts in the Foothills family, God is working gradually, graciously and gently to heal and change us.
That’s a major part of the GOOD NEWS of the Gospel!
With much love to all,
Your Pastor, Duff
