Our
Christian faith began as a reformation effort in the midst of Judaism. Later
when common ground became smaller and smaller, the Christians found they were
no longer welcome in the community synagogues. They developed their own fellowship
among mutual believers.
This did not
happen overnight, nor was it done without some serious rethinking about what it
meant to be the Kingdom of God active here on earth while waiting for the
second coming of Christ. One of those significant breakthroughs was the
realization God loved Gentiles as much as Jews. Judaism and Christianity should
already have learned this from the prophet Jonah in the Old Testament.
So the
Apostle Peter had to face his prejudice and learn by direct confrontation, the
Gospel was for everyone. God wanted all men to come to salvation. Many might
choose not to come, but it would not be because they had not received an
invitation.
Act
10:9 The next day, as they were on their
way and coming near Joppa, Peter went up on the roof of the house about noon in
order to pray.
Act
10:10 He became hungry and wanted
something to eat; while the food was being prepared, he had a vision.
Act
10:11 He saw heaven opened and something
coming down that looked like a large sheet being lowered by its four corners to
the earth.
Act
10:12 In it were all kinds of animals,
reptiles, and wild birds.
Act
10:13 A voice said to him, "Get up,
Peter; kill and eat!"
Act
10:14 But Peter said, "Certainly
not, Lord! I have never eaten anything ritually unclean or defiled."
Act
10:15 The voice spoke to him again,
"Do not consider anything unclean that God has declared clean."
Peter took
the lesson he had learned and shared it with other leaders of the Jerusalem
church. The door was thrown open to accept anyone who would acknowledge Jesus
as the Son of God and claim his saving act for themselves. The Apostle Paul
became the apostle to the Gentiles and people everywhere heard the good news
salvation was available for them.
After 2000
years we still need to have that sheet lowered in front of us and hear the
voice say, “All that I have created is worthy of receiving the gospel. Go make
sure they have a chance to respond.”
Perhaps like
me you have heard the horror stories of individuals coming through the doors of
a church building only to find their kind was not welcome. We thought that all
disappeared with growth of the civil rights movement, but it has never gone
away. Even if color is not the cause for division, we still find reasons to say
our church is not for everyone.
Economics
can be a real door lock. Look at all the Lexis, Acuras, and Audis in the
parking lot. Scattered among them are a few Volvos, Lincolns, and Chryslers.
Where do you park your Ford Focus? Will there be a seat inside where your twill
pants will be acceptable?
We shouldn’t
point our fingers at the wealthy, uptown churches. We need to take a closer
look at our own lives. Where do we shop for clothes? What brand of shoes graces
our feet? What size house is acceptable?
To whom will
we speak while standing in line at the drugstore? Whom do we want cutting our
hair? Who is acceptable as a dentist or a doctor?
To whom will
we share the love of God?
The presence
of prejudice doesn’t have to take the form of crossing to the other side of the
road to keep from meeting someone. It doesn’t have to take the form of refusing
to give service or even acknowledge their presence. Perhaps most often
prejudice is that gut level feeling that makes us hesitate to act, or leads us
to make up an excuse about a lack of time or material resources, or even to
think that person doesn’t deserve our help.
The Apostle
Simon Peter registered his protests and then was told what he was to do. I for
one am glad he overcame his prejudice.
