No Longer "Unclean!"
God has always intended to include everyone in His Kingdom regardless of their background. All are called to repentance and New Life in Christ!
Christ is risen!
“It’s beautiful!” The whole family always looked forward to Christmas at my grandmother’s house, and one of the stars of the celebration was Mawmaw’s desserts.
But my aunt and I could not agree with the rest of the family. It most certainly was not beautiful. Even all these years later, it makes my skin crawl to think about it. It was all white, tall, and covered with coconut! Mawmaw’s famous coconut cake. Homemade! Hiddeous!
Aunt Kat and I do not like coconut! Not even a little bit. Everybody else was staring at this mouth-watering desire, and we were suppressing the urge to run screaming from the room!
But that’s what makes life so full and joyous: the endless variety of tastes and preferences of people who like different foods.
While this makes sense when it comes to food, there’s something very different regarding people created in God’s image.
Look at our lesson today in Acts 10:1-16:
IN THOSE DAYS, at Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius.” And he stared at him in terror, and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and bring one Simon who is called Peter; he is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside.” When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those that waited on him, and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. The next day, as they were on their journey and coming near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. And he became hungry and desired something to eat; but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heaven opened, and something descending, like a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “No, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has cleansed, you must not call common.” This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
This is a pivotal moment in the history of the Christian Faith.
A Gentile, but not just any Gentile; a Roman Centurion, one of the soldiers in the occupying army of the Empire, wanted to hear St. Peter's message.
You have to understand, an observant Jew wouldn’t even consider coming under the same roof as a Gentile, and especially a Roman soldier who was a leader in the Empire’s army. It just wasn’t done. And mainly because to do so made the Jew ceremonially unclean for Temple worship.
So, God had to do a little work in Peter’s heart so he’d be ready for the challenge ahead when Cornelius’ servants arrived on Peter’s doorstep!
The Lord used a dream to show Peter that what God calls “clean” is clean. Period.
St. Peter had to have a clear message from God that what the Jews considered “unclean” wasn’t the same anymore. Now God’s grace would extend to even strangers and enemies to boot!
Notice that Peter is commanded three times (three betrayals, three confrontations) to eat foods considered “unclean” by the Jewish kosher laws. The significance of the three times has everything to do with the old saying, “Third time’s the charm.” God repeats Himself three times to Peter, so there is no doubt about the dream's meaning. And the results of Peter’s humility and bravery in obeying this command will change the face of religion for humanity!
As we continue to bask in the glow of the Paschal season, it is vital to your serious reset of what “normal” is in the Christian life for you to wrestle with the implications of the Resurrection. This event changes the whole universe to the point there’s no going back. The death of death is meant to change your life in a foundational way right here, right now! Now I can no longer look at and dismiss those who are different. Now I am no longer allowed to live as if sin and death haven’t been conquered. I am not free to ignore the Image of God in everyone, regardless of ethnicity, education, and social status. What God has called “clean,” I cannot call “unclean.” This doesn’t mean I ignore behavior, but I do not confuse the behavior of others with their ultimate worth in God’s eyes!
Today, are there people you consider “unclean” or unacceptable simply because of where they were born or who their parents are? Do you harbor negative thoughts about this group or that group because of the color of their skin or their cultural background, language, or even religion? Perhaps it’s time to see beyond these superficial traits to the heart of another person created in God’s image and embrace what it means to be a Normal Orthodox Christian!
P.S. Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad, for the Lord by His Might, has created a Dominion. He has conquered death by death, and become the first-born of the dead. He has delivered us from the depths of Hades, and has granted the world great mercy.
Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouraged
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