FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER - Year C - May 19, 2019
Most people who know me, know that I sing, and that I sing as an entertainer
at venues such as restaurants, cafes and pubs.
What is not such common knowledge is that I come from a family who have
not been inclined to walk into pubs. Maybe
it was my father’s influence… I’m not sure, but somehow the younger me was
given the impression that it was not the “done thing” for a lady to walk into a
public bar. I might add I have never
heard my father swear, but I have heard him talk about times he threatened to
hit a bloke for swearing in front of his sister – he was possibly all talk, but
sometimes that is all you need to be.
I tell you this story because it is just a little bit like the account we
read in the book of acts where Peter is sent to the Gentile house and his peers
are rather suspicious about it all.
Before we can understand just what is going on, we need to realize that in
the times of Peter, there were traditions, ways of life that were considered
the norm and things you just didn’t do – one of these was to go, as a Jew, to
the house of a Gentile – It just wasn’t the done thing.
The Jews were surrounded by people of various nations and beliefs. Throughout their history God had commanded
them about keeping separate. It was
important because God was identifying himself, and making himself known,
through the Jewish people. Therefore He was
ensuring clarity about His nature. The people around them had various beliefs
and through the intermarrying with these nations the understanding of God sometimes
became somewhat skewed.
It is always important to have enough fear of God to know not to mess
with the sacredness of who he really is.
Peter saw a vision, not once but three times. This was important because the three times
meant that it was God confirming the truth of what Peter was coming to
understand. Not only did the Jews have
rules about whose house they could eat in, but they had many rules about what
they could eat.
The oldest documented set of rules about food are the Jewish dietary
laws. These are also known as Kashrut,
from which the word Kosher is derived. In
the year 2019, when I look at these rules about food in the Bible times I can
see that the possible logical reason would be for health and hygiene. Many scholars agree, but not
conclusively. There was also a spiritual
element in the eating of foods, which was part of the religions of the nations
around Israel, and this was another aspect that needed clarification and
separation. An example of this spiritual
element of food is found in other places in the New Testament when Christian converts
are advised to refrain from eating meat offered to demons.
In the scriptures there seems to be some correlation also, with the
unclean food and unclean people being of an unclean spiritual nature. However, even today, acceptable and not
acceptable food differs depending on what that we’ve grown up with and become
accustomed.
People who are so completely different to us in their customs are a
challenge. With the example of the Old
Testament, we can justify that sometimes separation is a good thing. I really and truly do not want to rub
shoulders with a serial killer, and to say that we are all the children of God
can be just a little too simplistic and downright dangerous.
Peter was from a people who assumed that there was something a little
less than wholesome about the Gentiles.
In fact the customs you and I have now, are more than likely just a bit
weird and possibly spiritually wrong as far as those early Jewish Christians
were concerned.
But Peter was told in his vision of unclean animals, “get up, kill and
eat”. Then when Peter objected, he was
told, “'What God has made clean, you must not call profane.'”.
It was at that moment that a man from Caesarea arrived to ask Peter to
come to the house of a Gentile and tell them about Jesus. Peter then sensed the Spirit’s message to go,
and to not make a distinction between the Jew and the Gentile.
Can you imagine Peter’s surprise when the Holy Spirit fell on those
Gentiles? This must have literally blown
Peter’s mind. Those who were considered
spiritually lessor, were given the gift of the Holy Spirit just the same as the
Jewish Christians.
Our reading from Revelations 21:5-6 tells us, "See, I am making all
things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are
trustworthy and true." Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the
Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give
water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.”
The Holy Spirit is the gift from the spring of the water of life. It was new for the Jewish Christians, but
they had all been brought up with the promises of God for His chosen people and
this new thing not only empowered them to be the witnesses of Jesus but it
affirmed that they were indeed God’s chosen.
Then to hear that the message of salvation was given to the Gentiles
there were somewhat suspicious. Next
they heard that the Holy Spirit had also come upon the Gentiles and the concept
was so unbelievably new that none of them could easily comprehend it.
You and I are those outsiders.
Whatever the reason God had for telling the Jewish nation to remain
separate was obviously for a time and place – but not forever. We get very hung up, at times, with trying to
figure out the way things should be. We
quote that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow – His nature is
unchanging and we find it very hard to discern what things can change and what
can’t and pretty much, we hate change of any sort. Our readings today all talk about a NEW thing
that God is doing. God is the same
always. Rest assured though that God’s
law did not change. It was completed by
Jesus, and only through him can say, it is done! These new things that God was doing, were not
new to God, only to the people. There
are some things in the Bible that, ensconced in the culture and aspects of that
time and place, had to be a certain way… but not forever.
As an outsider who is now the recipient of God’s grace, I am very
grateful for that. But as now, an
adopted part of God’s chosen race, I need to look to see those who I and we perceive
to be outsiders and ask if I am doing the same as the critical Jewish
Christians who thought Peter had gone astray.
Am I judging someone as unclean or spiritually lessor, when God is
actually asking me not to make a distinction?
As a woman, I have traditionally been seen as spiritually lessor…. And I have tried to understand why. For many years I have been told that God
would not have created me a woman and called me into ministry. Though I honestly tried to accept that, it
didn’t seem logical and I could come up with no logical reason for such a view.
We live in interesting times where we need to be asking God for wisdom
and even visions. I feel it is vital
that we don’t lose sight of who God is, but I hope that our eyes can be opened
to those where he wants us to make no distinction.
There is another new thing that God asks of us. In our Gospel reading Jesus says, “I give you
a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you
also should love one another. By this
everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one
another."
We had already been told that love was the fulfillment of the law – to love
God and to love your neighbour, so why does Jesus call this, “new”?
The important part here is the “Just as I have loved you”. This is a call to love sacrificially. It means loving when it is hard to do
so. More than anything we need to pray
for wisdom and visions, listen to the voice of God, recognising his call to go
and do what He would have us do.
Peter was asked to go to a specific person’s house. Not just any house. Loving sacrificially means we need to push
through fear, but not jump in front of any bus.
We need to go where God calls us and be open to the change he is
bringing that will literally blow our minds, but not change simply for the sake
of change – that could be to jump in front of a bus, or throw ourselves to the
lions.
There is always some fear and discomfort when God does a new thing, but
excitement also. We are to be salt of
the earth, but if we simply leave this message of salvation here in the church
we are like salt in a salt shaker never moved and sprinkled. Like Peter we are called to go out and spread
the Good News. The Holy Spirit will confirm
when we are in the right place because we will see the fruit… we will see the
Holy Spirit fall. Where are we being
called to go?
It isn’t so hard or so scary after all.
One of the most exciting things in my life is being part of Street
Chaplaincy. We don’t preach, and yet
people know we are being the hands and feet of God and we are safely meeting
with all kinds of people that are so different from us. Where is God calling us today? The first step is always the hardest… but it
begins with a willing heart that says, “Yes, Lord, if you lead me, I will go.”
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