Surprising Orders
Acts 10:44-48
Had any dreams lately? In scripture, those who have dreams and share them openly usually find themselves in a bit of trouble - Joseph, pharaoh, and Nebuchadnezzar. Peter has a dream, or a vision, and finds himself in the middle of a controversy because of that dream. It is the controversy about who can belong to the church and how they can belong to the church. Peter’s dream sets up this moment when Jesus’ followers witness the Holy Spirit poured out on Gentiles. It is the elimination of the boundaries that separate who can be in and who is out. The impact of Peter’s vision unfolds over Acts 10-11.
Luke tells in the Book of Acts what happens to the church after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to God. There are stories of new converts (ch. 2), descriptions of how the community of Jesus’ followers live together (ch. 2, 4, & 6), stories of disciples performing acts of healing (ch. 3 & 4), brewing conflict between Jews who follow Jesus and those who do not (ch. 4, 6, 7, & 8), the conversion of Saul who is renamed Paul (ch. 9), and the beginning of the church’s expansion to welcome Gentiles (ch. 10 & 11). Gentiles were non-Hebrew peoples. One question that comes with the inclusion of Gentiles in the church was, “Must Gentiles first become Jewish before they become followers of Jesus?” It may seem like a overly simple question to us, but in the early years of the church it was a question that was central to the church shaping its identity. We can restate the question also as, “Do Gentiles and Jews have to follow the laws of Judaism if they are going to be followers of Jesus or can these be set aside?
Peter’s dream obviously presents problems for those who believe that followers of Jesus must also follow the law of Judaism because it does away with all boundaries - “What God has made clean, you must not call profane” (Acts 11:9). This vision opens the path forward for the church as Paul expands the missionary scope of the church and takes the message of the gospel to Asia Minor and then Europe. While it opens the path forward, the issue or challenge is never fully left behind. We continue to wrestle with who can be a part of the community and who cannot be included. The question may not be about what we eat or don’t eat; is today sometimes about skin color, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and age. Peter’s vision confronts us with a question, “What are the boundaries of God’s love?”
Reflection Questions:
How is God challenging us to grow right now? What are we withholding that God invites us to extend?
How has the Holy Spirit brought you a surprising lesson? What was the lesson?
Peter’s vision opens the path to welcoming Gentiles fully into the community gathered around Jesus. Who are the gentiles of today and to whom we are called to go and witness to the Goodness of God?