Members of Jerusalem Council were unhappy again! It seemed as though they had just received word that a rather influential Gentile by the name of Cornelius and his entire household had converted to Christianity. Not only that, it was Peter who was responsible for the entire mess!   

Now, they understood that Jesus had told them to go into the world and make disciples of all nations. But they also knew that Moses had warned them to keep it clean. What Peter had done to win over the heart, mind, and soul of Cornelius was anything but clean! Can you believe it?! He actually ate with the man . . . in his house, no less! 

The bottom line was that Peter had tampered with tradition and thumbed his nose at the law.  Such behavior could not be tolerated. If the movement was going to grow in an orderly sort of fashion, he needed to understand that anyone outside the faith who wanted to become one of them needed to convert to Judaism first. That meant they had to be willing to observe the Jewish laws . . . all 613 of them. Neither Cornelius nor anyone in his household had any intention of doing so!  

Maybe the Council members had a right to raise all of this as an issue. After all, laws and regulations are important. Without them a society . . .  or a movement . . . will dissolve into chaos. But even law and order can be carried to an extreme . . . as was happening in this particular instance. After all, in the midst of all the fuss and furor, no one seemed to be asking one very important question. How could someone tell others about Christ if he or she was forbidden to sit down at the same table, much less break bread and eat together? 

Now we know from Peter’s time with Jesus that he was not exactly a Rhodes Scholar! Yet even he understood the only way to reach others was to put aside their differences – to listen . . . really listen . . . and to care. So in an attempt to explain that was why he went to Cornelius’  house in the first place, Peter told the Council about the vision he had received from God. 

I went up on the roof to pray, he said. It was about noon and I was starting to get hungry. But while I was praying and waiting for lunch to be served, a really strange and bizarre thing happened.  

The heavens opened and something like a large sheet was let down to earth by its four corners.  Not only that, it was filled with all kinds of four-footed animals, birds, and reptiles. As I was trying to figure it all out, a voice said:  Go ahead, Peter, eat.  

Now I may have been hungry, but the mere thought of eating some of those animals was repulsive. So, I replied:  No way, Lord!  I’ve never eaten anything impure or unclean in my entire life. There is absolutely no way that I’m about to start now! Then the voice said:  Do not call anything that God has made impure.   

Believe it or not, that happened three times before the sheet was pulled back into heaven. And just at that moment, Cornelius’ servants appeared at the door asking for him.  (Acts 11:4-9; pastor’s paraphrase) 

The Council, of course, chose not to believe. So Peter was faced with a very serious dilemma.  Would he cave in to their expectations and demands? Or would he stand firm and obey God?  

Fortunately for us, Peter decided to obey God. In the midst of being criticized and ridiculed for associating with all the “wrong” people, he remembered Jesus’ response when he received the same treatment.  

A new commandment I give you:  love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples.   

A new commandment I give you:  love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. In other words, the only way to love God is by loving others - not just those who look, think and act or believe like we do. Like Peter, we have to understand that God’s grace is available to all people – that everyone is invited to the table.   

So, Christians, look around and tell me:  Who isn’t here? What faces are absent? Is it the teen-ager who roams the neighborhood because his parents aren’t home or just don’t care? Is it the recent immigrant whose customs are strange and whose English is almost non-existent? What about the Native American, Middle Eastern, or black family who live next door? Where are those who are addicted, abused and despised?  

Friends, it is only through God’s love and grace that we are here. It is through that same love that we should welcome everyone into the fellowship. It is through that grace we can learn to live as one.   

The table is set.  Amazingly enough, we are invited guests.