What’s on your sheet? – a study in prejudice

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What’s on your sheet? – a study in prejudice

It was near lunchtime. Peter wanted to pray, went to Simon’s rooftop and was soon both hungry and napping (how very human that the nap takes over). Oh yes, that’s the rooftop of Simon the tanner and its likely that he was surrounded by drying animal skins – something that made a Jew like him ‘unclean’.

Then came a vision of heaven opened (always a sign that God is doing something big). And the sheet. Its contents were disgusting to a Jew – a host of unclean and forbidden creatures. Although Peter was hungry he resisted the call to eat - for he had never eaten anything unclean.

Three times that sheet descended (things in Peter’s life tended to happen in patterns of three) and three times he refused.

As Peter pondered he received word of three (!) men asking him to go to the home of a Roman Centurion (not only unclean but also an enemy occupier). Cornelius also had been praying and at 3pm (!) he had a vision to send for Peter.

Finally the penny dropped and Peter 'got it'. And so this Jewish church leader realised that God has no favourites and that his salvation in Jesus was open to everyone who repents and believes in Jesus. That was to change the world as Peter led the church to embrace God’s long promise that through Abraham ‘all people’s would be blessed (Gen 12:1-3).

What’s on your sheet? For Peter it was a collection of animals forbidden to the Jews. I, like many of us, have eaten many of the creatures on Peter’s sheet without a qualm. However, there’s still a question. What’s on my sheet? Who are the people that disgust or repel me? Who do I avoid and think God would have nothing much to do with except to announce judgement?

 For some it may be a person of a different skin colour. Or different gender. Or someone waving a rainbow flag. Or wearing a hajib.

Who are the people to whom I say ‘no way’ but to whom God says there is one way: Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor 6:11)?

And if God says that to them, who am I but another unclean and now forgiven one who should also extend God’s welcome?

(This post is inspired by a sermon on Acts 10 from Alistair Bain of St John’s Presbyterian Church Hobart)