TUESDAY

Acts 10:1-23

The only thing more shocking than Jesus inviting himself to lunch with Zacchaeus is to experience something like what happened to Peter—a bunch of Gentiles showing up unannounced at your front door. At least Zacchaeus was Jewish, but these guys were uncircumcised Gentiles. And, at least in the Jewish community of that day, having them in your home would have been considered inappropriate. Even though Peter would go on to champion the cause of Gentile believers, the fact that Peter still struggled with this (see Galatians 2:11-14) gives us a glimpse of just how significant those tensions were! Perhaps that’s why God prepared him for that surprise visit with a vision on his roof. Take a few moments to reread the story (today’s Scripture passage) as you reflect on Peter’s experience.

• God was speaking to Peter in a vision, and Peter was resisting because it was not in line with how he had always understood Scripture. In what ways can you relate to Peter’s struggle here?

• Can you think of ways that things “traditionally understood” can sometimes make it harder to see how God is at work in ways that are new to us? What insights can we find in this passage that give us clues as to how to discern the way God is leading?

• What implications does this passage have for our willingness to reexamine scriptural understandings to see if there are new things to learn, or to see if there are some things we might not have fully understood?

• In what way does Peter’s story here represent a continuation of the stories from Jesus’ life as He stretched people’s understandings of who is included in the Kingdom of God?

• As you reflect on your own walk with God, what are the takeaways for you?

Take a few moments to share with God in prayer what is on your heart as you reflect on this passage.