Acts 10:9-23 – About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds.13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” 14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. 17 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. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. 19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” 21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?” 22 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 ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
“The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.” We remember that the Jews had, in large part, believed that only they were favored of God and the gentiles were referred to as dogs. They did not think of dogs as we do, as beloved friends and even as four-legged parts of the family (Though there were those who loved dogs as their pets such as in Matthew 15:27). We know they used dog to guard their houses and flocks. In the bible calling someone a dog is a derogatory term. These are most likely references to the feral dog packs. They could be dangerous and were known for roaming the streets and eating dead bodies, offal and trash. These were animals without honor. This is how the Jews considered Gentiles. Mostly it was because pride had risen up and they considered themselves better than the Gentiles because they were God’s chosen people. Yet we are told that they were not chosen for being numerous and great, but it is because they weren’t (Deuteronomy 7:7-9) that God chose them. We remember that God does not change (Numbers 23:19) and so He was with them as He is with us. God chooses the weak things of the world, them and us (1 Corinthians 1:20-31, 2 Corinthians 12:9). They should not have looked down on Gentiles and we should not look down on non-Christians. Instead, we must love them and pray for them. We must carry on the work of Jesus. He was to the world the living representation of God (Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:15) and we must be to the world the living representation of Him and a witness for Him (Matthew 28:19-20). Let us love as He does and then the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) will be found living and flowing out of us to a world that is lost and doesn’t even know it.
So Peter was raised a Jew and he remained one his whole life. He was separated from the teaching of the leaders who opposed Jesus. However, he remained a Jew, he was a Jew who had embraced The Messiah Jesus. But He was Jew. So Peter had learn to reject the customs and traditions that he was raised in. His mind and loves had to be changed to become increasingly more like Jesus. It is not easy. I still know people, lots of them, who cannot shake incorrect traditions. Tradition and custom can be wonderful and great memories are held with them. But only as they don’t conflict with God’s Word. When we say we love the Lord, then we should also be saying that it is He whom we cling to and not tradition or culture that conflicts with His will. If He is truly Lord in every part of our life, then the answer we give to Him is always yes, or at least should be, if He truly is our “number-one” love. If He is our treasure then we are most fortunate of all because we have and will never lose our greatest (Matthew 6:33).
We are taught to listen to and to obey the Lord at our first hearing. Simple. If God tells us twice He is letting us know that it is important and we better be listening. I remember being told by my Dad that he does not want have to repeat himself. If he did repeat himself, I better be listening. The Lord here repeats Himself three times. He was giving Peter a message with a bullhorn! In essence He was telling Peter to put aside everything he thought he knew, or that he was taught, and to immediately accept and do all that Jesus tells him to do. Not “buts,” just hear, trust and obey. Actually, He was liberating Peter. The Law binds, Jesus came to set us free from the binding of the law to bring us to Freedom to obey the Spirit. The Law is an unrelenting master while the freedom we receive through faith in Jesus is to do all that we want to do. God trusts that what we most want is more of Him and to walk in His love. We want to be like our Daddy. If Daddy does it, we want to do it. If Daddy does not, then we don’t want to do it. So if Daddy loves the Gentiles, then Peter must love the Gentiles. Not out of a sentence from law, but out of loving freedom that has cleansed us and flows from within. Oh, hallelujah! Praise God! How wonderful that we are made to be part of His family and in so being are changed to be increasingly like Him. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.