Sermon Tone Analysis

Changing Mind

Over the last year I have been introduced to a new kind of story by my wife Karen.

“Mississippi stories”.

She is a “small town girl” living in a lonely world.

And I am a city boy.

Born and raised… a bit North of LA.

Totally different worlds, it really is cross cultural at times.

So Karen told me a story:

A young man and woman tried to book a wedding venue in (no joke) Booneville, Mississippi… and were denied.

When they asked why the owner of the venue calmly and kindly explained.

He is black, she is white.

And we “just don’t do mixed race marriages because of our Christian beliefs.”

They challenged her “we are Christian!”

And she responded “I don’t want to argue my faith, we just don’t participate.”

Amazing!

It kind of blew my naive mind that that would go down in 2019 America… but what do I know.

That isn’t the most amazing part.

This sixty year old woman went home.

Her husband asked her to point out in the Bible where it says that.

She tried.

She studied and eventually conceded that there was nothing there.

She apologized to the couple and CHANGED.

That is an absolute miracle!

How rare is it that someone actually changes their mind?

On a position or idea they have held for years, for decades?

On ground they have likely fought over before.

How rare is that?

When is the last time you changed your mind on something that important?

An idea or assumption, a political stance, a theological principle maybe?

It seems to me that this is incredibly rare.

I shouldn’t be shocked that this woman had sinful prejudice that expressed in a judgmental attitude, we all have those.

I am amazed that she was open minded and open hearted enough to seek truth, to find it, and to change in light of it.

Changing Peter’s Mind

Jew and Gentile

For more than a thousand years, the tribes of Israel have been commanded by God to keep themselves pure.

The number one area of purity was national purity: don’t associate with the “others”, the “Gentiles”.

And the Jews had a very long tradition interpreting this separation.

One of the traditions so strong it might as well be law was that it was “unlawful” to visit a Gentile home.

Perfectly fine to have them over, because then you can control the space, the food, the purity.

But over there you have no control… you would be unclean because they are unclean.

This is a small thing, but it represents the GIANT divide between Jew and Gentile.

Us and them.

Cornelius: the Gentile

A “God-fearer” seems to be a phrase Luke uses for people who, while they haven’t gone through the official process of becoming a “proselyte” (fully converting to Judaism), this is someone who is respectful, maybe even worshipful of God… but unofficially.

He is giving to “the people” or specifically, to the Jews.

And this guy receives a vision:

More about Cornelius next week, but he is one of the very few to be visited by an angel.

And, just as we see in the birth and life of Jesus, when angels (messengers from God) are on the scene, HUGE things are about to happen.

Here we have another double vision.

God speaks to Cornelius to send for Peter, but He also prepares Peter on the other end.

Peter: the Jew

We last left Peter in Joppa.

Luke in writing Acts has just reminded us how closely Peter is walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

He is healing the paralyzed, he is raising the dead, and people are coming to faith.

He is a true disciple, with his eyes on Jesus, looking more like Jesus every day.

The fact that Peter is already staying with a Tanner indicates that much shaping work has already been done in him.

Jesus has taught him to eat with sinners and tax collectors.

Tanners were considered unclean because of their contacts with dead animals.

They also often used concentrated urine to get ammonia in order to treat those hides.

So… gross.

No wonder he is escaping to the roof!

Great spiritual discipline there.

Peter is still practicing the regular devoted hours of prayer, that is good practice for all of us.

Oh, it’s time to pray!

So, it is noon.

He is praying… and hungry… and while praying he falls asleep.

(and the people all said, amen!)

When he falls asleep hungry, what do you think he dreams about?

Food!

All kinds of animals.

Some Peter would be used to eating.

Some, many, especially among the reptiles and the birds, are UNCLEAN.

Not Kosher!

I picture Indiana Jones at the Temple of Doom (because we watched that last night).

Bowls full of writhing animals and chilled monkey brains.

ALL kinds of animals here, both delicious and non-delicious, edible and inedible, clean and “unclean”.

Against the the dietary laws handed down to the people of Israel through Moses.

One of the things that separates them from the Gentiles.

I think Peter is thinking “oh, this is a test!”

This is a test and I know the answer!

Don’t worry God, you can’t trick me.

Or “do not call unclean.”

Don’t call it “impure”.

God has “declared them clean” or “cleansed them”.

What was the second time like?

Okay… maybe it’s not a test?

But if it happened three times, I think both the sheet with the animals came down, and Peter responded NO every time.

And again God said “what God has made clean, do not call common.”

Peter needs things in threes.

Reminiscent of Peter’s three time swearing to Jesus that he wouldn’t abandon him… then three time denying him… then three times Jesus says “do you love me.”

Now, three times, Peter argues with God.

Unclean Food

Now, is God just talking about food?

This is a matter of some debate.

I think God is AT LEAST talking about food here.

He really has explicitly lifted the strictures on clean and unclean foods.

That was a temporary measure that had both practical application to Ancient Israel and served as an important area of distinction between Jew and Gentile.

In the story of Daniel, Shadrach, Mishach and Abednego it was the defining difference.

God is AT LEAST declaring, ladies and gentlemen “BACON IS BACK ON THE MENU!” Amen.

So beautiful.