Seeing Through New Eyes

Seeing Through New Eyes

When it comes to trying new food, is your response:

• Bring it on!
• If I don’t recognize it, I won’t eat it!
• You first!
• Not everything is meant to be eaten.
• I am content with my current menu, thank you.

We find one of the many interesting stories about Peter in Acts 10:9-35 (directly from the Bible is much more interesting to read, but here’s a condensed version).

Peter might describe himself as faithful and passionate with a love for God and a heart for His people. But who are God’s people?

One day we find Peter on his roof praying (roofs were useful space in his day!). Long story short, Peter was hungry, went into a trance, and in a vision God showed Peter all kinds of animals that his culture would not permit him to eat. Peter adamantly refused the food offer. Even when a voice declared, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This food vision appeared three times and finally disappeared.

Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision when men from another country and culture stopped at Peter’s house. Peter greeted them at the gate and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

The men had been sent by a Roman official named Cornelius. God had been preparing Cornelius to hear about Jesus. God told Peter to go with the visitors because God had sent them for him. Peter invited the traveling men to spend the night and then the next day they headed off to speak with Cornelius. As a crowd gathered around them, Cornelius told Peter how God had nudged him toward Jesus, and Peter shared his story about God nudging him to come speak with Cornelius. Peter shared his food vision story and his conclusion which was “God has shown me that I should not put down people from other cultures or call anyone impure or unclean.” Cornelius concluded that God had sent Peter and encouraged him to tell all those gathered all about Jesus.

Peter learned a valuable lesson that day. Paul, another Bible spokesperson put this way: “all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” - Galatians 3:27-28

4832 Ponderings:

• How might we place limitations on God or people seeking to follow Him?
• Why is this Bible passage so important to us?
• What are statements we can make that start with “I am free to …”?
• Who might be a Cornelius in your life?