Excluding and Including – Acts 10

A text – Acts 10:44-48

10:44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word.
10:45 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,
10:46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said,
10:47 “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
10:48 So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

A reflection:

Wouldn’t you have liked to have been there and to have seen the Holy Spirit falling upon all who heard the word? What did it look like? Recognition? Ecstasy? Joy? Astonishment? What did it sound like? It really must have been something, because the Jews that had come with Peter to that place all saw it. They were really surprised that God had revealed Godself even to the non-Jews in the room. The Spirit had been poured out “even on the Gentiles,” the folks that they felt far superior to.

The Jews must have been murmuring among themselves, and Peter saw that this was a moment worth seizing, because he asked them if any of them would forbid baptizing these non-Jewish believers in Christ. And they did not forbid or withhold.

In quite a few places in the New Testament, people from excluded groups get included.  Jesus teaches his followers not to judge, not to make decisions using human standards, but to let God be the judge. I can’t seem to get rid of the habit of judging others. Probably perfectly good people get rated and evaluated by me in my walk through the world every day. Yet it could be one of these same people  who helps me out in a parking lot one day or who does an act of kindness for my family. Why do I keep on judging, knowing these folks are beloved children of the same God I say I love?  How do we work at accepting and loving our neighbor, no matter what? If Peter learned to do it, we must also give it a try.

Think what a difference that could make in the world. It might feel more like the Kingdom of God coming near.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for sending us out to live out the Gospel to others.  Help us to overcome our habit of judging people when we don’t even know their story. Help us to have compassion and acceptance of every human being as your beloved children. Send us your Holy Spirit to pour out that gift upon us all.     Amen.