PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Acts 10:9-23
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (Acts 10:15)
The Law of Moses aims to teach the Hebrews about holiness and unholiness.
The clean/unclean food list in Leviticus 11 was a part of this.
It is not because these animals were actually unsafe or unholy.
But by means of this special diet, God was teaching his people about being different.
In and of themselves these animals were not the problem; their hearts were.
They failed to see the danger of godless immorality and idolatry.
Being holy did not make them better, but prepared them for their mission.
They were set apart and blessed to be a blessing, so that people would come to them.
Like Daniel eating a ‘clean’ diet, they would stand out for their health and wellness.
Jesus makes it clear than ‘cleanness’ is not about what goes in, but what comes out.
Our unclean hearts are the problem (Mark 7:18-19), and Jesus comes to clean them.
Peter is about to learn that Jesus came for Jews AND Gentiles, to make them all clean.
Through Jesus the dividing wall of the Law is set aside, so that all may be clean.
Through Jesus I am clean, welcome, acceptable, and so are you!
PRAYER
Lord, by ourselves we remain defiled in our hearts. But by your grace we are declared clean, forgiven, loved. Help me to see others as you see them, and to welcome others as you welcome me!
What a huge change for Peter. Yet, God is calling each one of us to be transformed – by renewal. ““Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” When people come to believe in Jesus they are made clean – I am made clean. God is working on me through the HS to be more like Jesus. So I have to be transformational – ready to open up to people from all walks and orientations in life. I can’t exclude or write off people simply because of their orientation or their history of sin whatever it is. When the HS starts working the HS changes lives – but we start knowing that we have been made clean in Jesus!
The dietary laws described clean and unclean animals. Laws for God’s people. Yet here is a new beginning. Cornelius was respected by the Jews. Peter invited the men into his house before going to Cornelius. And the mixed sheet of animals were all called clean. And so all people are God’s people and he made them clean. The should be no barrier between the races. We are all one in the Lord to serve Him.
Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world
Jesus cares for all the children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus cares for the children of the world
Jesus came to save the children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
They’re all precious in His sight
Jesus came to save the children of the world