Acts 10:34-43
Rejoice in the knowledge of our risen Lord Jesus Christ.
Are you all partied out? The Easter season is a time of celebration and I know that you routy Lutherans really get into the spirit of celebrating the entire Easter season. Okay maybe fifty days of celebration is a bit much. We aren't even at the end yet. The fifty days ends with Pentecost and this Wednesday is Ascension Day which is forty days after Easter.
A lot can happen in fifty days to dampen our spirits. This world can really drag us down. We had a death in our extended family. I've had a particularly challenging few weeks in my paying job. Everyone here has probably had some experience that was discouraging. It's our nature to be self-absorbed and dwell on our little day to day problems and forget we have been given an eternity of bliss. Even if we did only have this world I think it's safe to say we have it pretty good even on a bad day.
Has anyone here searched through trash to find a box of cereal with some crumbs in it and rejoice that they had something for breakfast? Has anyone been injured or sick and not been able to receive care for that condition? We really should be celebrating if not on a temporal level at least on a spiritual level.
Our reading from Acts gives us the best reason to be celebrating. Peter states that he truly understands that God shows no partiality. It's hard for us to understand what an eye opening experience triggered Peter to make such a statement.
In the verses prior to this reading Peter had a vision that there were no unclean foods, God's creation is not unclean he is told. God may say all creatures are clean to eat but I'm not about to try them all. Anyone for chocolate covered ants? Immediately after his vision Peter is told he will be asked to travel to the home of a gentile, Cornelius the centurion, and he is to comply.
To us this doesn't seem to be a big deal at all. To a Jew in the first century even the thought of such things is unfathomable. To be observed in such acts as eating un-kosher foods or visiting a gentile's home was cause to be thrown out of the synagogue, excommunicated, completely cutoff. They believed the punishment extended beyond this world, breaking their laws meant no chance of entering heaven.
Peter's opening statement in the reading is in response to a culminating event to the vision about food and the command to enter a gentile's home. He witnesses the Holy Spirit come upon the gentile household of Cornelius. It happened just as the disciples had experienced in Jerusalem. The household was speaking in tongues.
For the Jews it was believed Gentiles just couldn't get into heaven but here was God pouring out His Spirit on the household of Cornelius. Peter may have had inkling from Jesus' teachings that all people were acceptable to God but it took this culminating event to prove it. As Peter states, in every nation anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable. By Jesus' teaching what is right is to believe in Him. God has appointed him judge of all peoples.
As Paul shares in Romans there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, the same Lord is Lord of all. That means that even a German descendent like me is acceptable through Jesus. That is something to celebrate.
John shares the words of Jesus," As the Father loved me, so I loved you. Abide in my love." Abide in His love, what does He mean by that? The Greek means stay with the emphasis of permanence. So we should stay in His love permanently.
The commandment a few verses later gives us the recipe to abide in His Love. Love one another as I have loved you. James says it another way show no partially as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone needs to hear the message not just a select group. Everyone needs to be served according to their needs.
God is not partial on more than one level. Peter himself is a great example of this. Peter did a lot of things wrong. Peter was rebuked by Jesus. Later Paul rebuked Peter for allowing his prejudice against the gentiles to resurface. Through it all Jesus still loved Peter. We all make mistakes but Jesus still loves us as well. He still forgives us and as we abide in His love, we also forgive. Because of our faith we work to change our ways, repentance.
Thankfully God has sent a light to all people. In our celebration of that precious gift of Jesus Christ we to become light. The light shines brightly each time we serve another in the love of Christ.
In Genesis we read Jacob cheated his brother Esau out of his birthright and fearing retribution fled. God still accepted Jacob and made Him part of the promise given to Abraham. When Jacob and Esau met again years later Esau forgave Jacob. Jacob said I have seen your face which is like seeing the face of God. He literally was saying He was looking on the face of God.
I think that it would be very helpful for us to remember each face we see is the face of Christ. Their appearance, language, background should not matter to us Jesus shows no partiality.
In the name of our risen Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
