Just Like Us

Originally written February 3

Daily Reading: Acts 10

This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. Acts 10:36

Acts 10 is a very special chapter of Scripture within my life. During the time that I was wrestling with God over my call I was in the process of reading through the New Testament and this story of Peter going to Cornelius’ house grabbed my heart and wouldn’t let go.

When I read this story I was drawn into the play between Peter’s faithfulness to separate himself from anything unclean and God’s call to reach out to that which Peter has considered unclean. I’m sure Peter worked hard to keep himself ritually pure, yet God calls him to enter into the house of a Roman military officer. In essence God was telling Peter, that Cornelius was just like him. God calls us to the whole world because the whole world is just like us. 26 years ago God grabbed my heart with this overwhelming conviction that I was called to reach out and sacrificially love the world around me, especially those within the world whom I would not normally want to go and love, because in reality they were just like me. 

The call has not changed. God’s call is summed up in verse 36, “that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of ALL!!” If Jesus Christ is Lord of ALL, the scripture implies that Jesus lived and died for ALL. The implication of this is that we then, as his Church are called to live and die for ALL whom Jesus loved, which is everyone.  We are called to share God’s love with everyone, plain and simple.  

Israel lost the blessing of God because Israel did not live into the call of God to bless the world. We too can easily lose the blessing, if we choose any path other than an outward missional path of sharing Christ love with the world around us.

Lord, help me to join with you in a mission of love to my Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.  Amen.