Clean or Unclean?

Acts 10:9-22

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

⁹ About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. ¹⁰ He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.  ¹¹ He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. ¹² It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. ¹³ Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

¹⁴ “Surely not, Lord!”  Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

¹⁵ The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

¹⁶ This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

¹⁷ While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision,   the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. ¹⁸ They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

¹⁹ While Peter was still thinking about the vision,  the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. ²⁰ So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

²¹ Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

²² The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.”

I have always thought that this scripture was regarding the eating of all kinds of food, unlike the Jewish tradition but today I realized it has so much more meaning than that.  One verse stood out to me like it never has before, ¹⁵ The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”   That verse, paired with the sermon I heard yesterday brought a whole new meaning and challenge to me.  The pastor I heard speak yesterday spoke on the lineage of Jesus, as written in Matthew 1.  As you read the lineage it means nothing to most people but when you look at the names of those who were the grandmothers of Jesus, you see that He chose the most likely women to make clean, to become the lineage of Jesus. Many of these women we would have not wanted to associate with yet they became the mothers of men who became great in fulfilling the will of God.

This message is for those who are in that type of lifestyle, who think they could never be forgiven by God.  His love is so great that He can and will forgive all sins, it is up to the sinner to ask for that forgiveness and recognize that only God, through Jesus Christ, can make you whole again.  He is the only one who can wash away those sins through the blood of Jesus Christ. 

This message is also for those who have been raised in Christian homes, who have grown up knowing the love of Christ.  Often times we tend to think that maybe we are a little better than the person on the street begging for money or walking the streets looking for pay.  These verses tell us that only God can choose what is clean and unclean.  It is not up to us to judge, it is up to us to associate with those who in society who might be of a lower class than us.  It is up to us to share the Gospel with them.  It is the power of the Holy Spirit to open their ears to the message and ours to proclaim the message.  

As you seek Him today, tell Him how thankful you are that He has made you clean.  If you have not received this cleansing from Him, ask Him to do so today.  We need to all remember that God is the One who makes clean those who were once unclean.  All of us have been unclean and we need to share how through Christ we are now clean. 

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila