Meditation for August 30

Acts 10:1-48

From Peter Munson

 

God's Revelation Is Ongoing

 

 "... Peter went up on the roof to pray.  He became hungry and wanted something to eat; and while it was being prepared, he fell into a trance.  He saw the heaven opened and something like a large sheet coming down, being lowered to the ground by its four corners.  In it were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air.  Then he heard a voice saying, 'Get up, Peter; kill and eat.' But Peter said, 'By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.'  The voice said to him, a second time, 'What God has made clean, you must not call profane.'  This happened three times, and the thing was suddenly taken up to heaven." (Acts 10:9-16)

 

If you were to ask me what some of the most important stories and teachings in the Bible are, I would say, first and foremost, the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  I would add to that  - for starters - the call of Abraham, the Exodus, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, the Parable of the the Two Sons (the Prodigal and the Elder Son), Saul's (Paul's) conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), and Acts 10.

 

Why Acts 10?  I have always been intrigued with Acts 10, because it shows us that God's revelation is ongoing.  Peter thought he had all the rules figured out, and he understood that it was his calling, after Jesus' ascension, to spread the good news of Jesus.  He thought this good news - the "gospel" - was to shared only with the Jews.  But then he had this dream - this vision - as he was praying in a hungry state, on top of a roof in Caesarea.  You have to read the rest of Chapter 10 to figure out, with Peter, what the vision was really about.  It wasn't really about food, per se.  It was about the fact that God was calling the disciples to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles, too - that is, to the whole world... to ALL the other nations and peoples... not just the Jews.

 

To make this revelation clear, God worked through a Roman (Gentile) centurion, Cornelius, and one of the original twelve disciples, Peter.  Both of them were faithful in prayer, both of them were listening for God's voice to them, and both of them were given a vision by God.  God brought them together (see Acts 10:17-33), and Peter told Cornelius and all his relatives and close friends about Jesus. (Acts 10:34-43) 

 

And the Holy Spirit "fell" upon these Gentiles.  And the Jewish followers of Jesus were surprised.  "The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles." (verse 45)  And Peter said, now understanding what his vision was all about, "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" (verse 47) And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus.

 

Acts 10 is a great argument against those who teach or imply that everything you need to know about God or the life of faith is found in the Bible.  This was a new revelation that Peter and the other disciples received!  As important as the Bible is, and I believe it is our primary authority as Anglicans, it is not God.  The Bible points us to God; the Bible points us to the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ, so that we can develop a relationship witht the risen Christ.  But the Bible is not God.

 

So one of the reasons that I see Acts 10 as a key story in the Bible is because it demonstrates for us the principle that God's revelation to us in ongoing.  And that has all sorts of implications for us, as individuals and as a faith community.  Are we "praying on tiptoes" as the early apostles were?  Are we listening and really paying attention, so that we can hear when God speaks? (Realizing that there are many, many different ways that God can speak to us)  Are we open to the presence of others in our lives - as open as Peter and Cornelius were to each other, for example - realizing that the person we just met, or the person we have known for over twenty years might have a special word from God to deliver to us?

 

As much as I love and treasure the Bible, I am also deeply thankful that God is a God of ongoing revelation.  To me, it makes the whole spiritual life exciting.  It means that something surprising might happen when I take a few moments to pray.  Something exciting might happen when I meet a new person, or say hello to a newcomer at church.  Something exciting might happen when I pick up a new book, or when I go for a hike.  Something exciting might happen, because God is Emmanuel - God is with us!  And when God is with us, anything can happen.  Something new can be revealed to me, to you, to us - that changes everything... for the better!  Thanks be to God!