You Know How Unlawful It Is

Today's reading: 2 Chronicles 35-36; Acts 10:23-48


Acts 10:28 Then he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean."

Peter was summoned by a Roman centurion named Cornelius. Unlike the other Romans he was seeking to know the God of the Jews and he had done many good deeds for them. Then one day while he was praying an angel appeared to him and told him to find Peter and have him come and preach the gospel. There was, however, a big problem; Peter was a Jew which meant it was unlawful according to Jewish law for him to associate with gentiles like the Romans. Not only that but the Romans were still seen as an occupying force and they were looked on with anger and suspicion and so were those who were seen with them. But God had planned this entire event and He had prepared Peter's heart to respond to Cornelius's request. Even at that this was such a departure for the normal way of things Peter still felt compelled to explain how strange this encounter was. But Peter had heard from God and that changed everything.

God's love wasn't and isn't reserved for just a few select individuals. In fact even His 'chosen' people, the Jews, were chosen in order to bring salvation to the rest of the world. His love for the world is seen in every action that He's taken in the history of man and in this account Peter has stepped across the final boundary of separation that God desired to destroy. From God's perspective the death and resurrection of Jesus has opened the way for all people to come to Him through the gospel of Jesus.