Today's readings are Joshua 6.6-27 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Josh.+6.6-27 ) and Acts 10.18-33 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+10.18-33 ).
We can gain some insight into Peter's character, and maybe our own, from Acts 10.28-29. Peter was a devout Jew. He had been accustomed, from his earliest childhood, not to have dealings with Gentiles and not to engage in activities which would make him unclean. Now here, as a Christian, he was staying in the house of a tanner, who would be in a fairly constant state of ceremonial uncleanness due to his exposure to blood. He had received a vision from God telling him that God proclaims things clean, including all sorts of unclean animals. And now Peter has been visited by people from a Gentile's household, has received them to hear their plea, and has even gone with them to the house of Cornelius, a place he never would have entered without divine command. Look at the words of Peter. "God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean" (ESV).
One of the "hot topics" within American evangelical Christianity lately has be so-called "racial reconciliation." Though there is but one race of humans (hence the "human race") we have taken color and stature characteristics, and even more importantly, cultural characteristics, and allowed them to divide people. How many times have we faced prejudicial feelings based on someone's apparent background, based on appearance or accent? When will we realize that Jesus came to bear the sins of the world - not the sins of one particular cultural group? When will we realize that the good news is to be proclaimed to all nations? When will we realize that when the Lord has proclaimed people clean they are clean indeed? Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and a person who appeared as different from most of us as you can be. May we find our unity in our Lord Jesus Christ.
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