Made pure

At noon on the following day, as their journey brought them close to the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted to eat. While others were preparing the meal, he had a visionary experience. He saw heaven opened up and something like a large linen sheet being lowered to the earth by its four corners. Inside the sheet were all kinds of four-legged animals, reptiles, and wild birds. A voice told him, “Get up, Peter! Kill and eat!” Peter exclaimed, “Absolutely not, Lord! I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke a second time, “Never consider unclean what God has made pure.” This happened three times, then the object was suddenly pulled back into heaven. Peter was bewildered about the meaning of the vision. Just then, the messengers sent by Cornelius discovered the whereabouts of Simon’s house and arrived at the gate. Calling out, they inquired whether the Simon known as Peter was a guest there. While Peter was brooding over the vision, the Spirit interrupted him, “Look! Three people are looking for you. Go downstairs. Don’t ask questions; just go with them because I have sent them.” So Peter went downstairs and told them, “I’m the one you are looking for. Why have you come?” They replied, “We’ve come on behalf of Cornelius, a centurion and righteous man, a God-worshipper who is well-respected by all Jewish people. A holy angel directed him to summon you to his house and to hear what you have to say.” Peter invited them into the house as his guests. (Acts 10:9-23a, CEB)

There were laws about what one could eat as what was clean or unclean.

Peter saw a vision of a sheet containing unclean animals according to the law, and in the vision, Peter heard, “Never consider unclean what God has made pure.”

You see everything was made by God and is clean. We did not eat certain things probably because they were not cooked right by someone and people got sick. There are laws about watching pots and hands because people were probably getting sick and washing was one way they knew that kept people getting sick to a minimum. Pork was one of the things on the unclean list and we know now that if pork is not fully cooked you can get worms. So maybe the laws are for health concerns and this is not bad, it keeps people alive, but when we say the creations of God are unclean because we do not know how to handle them or cook them is not our place.

God created and it is pure, clean.

This is why the Gentiles were invited in and Peter will go to see Cornelius.

We need to be light and salt to all the world.

Go. Love out Loud, and do not call unclean what God has made pure.

Loving People. Loving God.