THURSDAY

Scripture: Galatians 2:11-21

Old habits are hard to break. Perhaps you have experienced this at some point. Maybe you can think of ways you are struggling with this reality right now. After the powerful experience of the vision on the roof and what he experienced in his interaction with Cornelius and the community of believers he represented, things came into focus for Peter. Or so you would think. However, as many of us may have discovered, great moments of profound insight do not always guarantee that we won’t still find a way to get off track. There may be some comfort in knowing that even Peter, despite all that he had experienced, still struggled. And in today’s passage, Paul calls him out. Ouch. And so, the question is, when we drop the ball and don’t live up to the best versions of ourselves, do we stay in denial, or do we take the path of humility and repentance? As you read and reflect on today’s passage, here are a few questions to consider:

• Are there forces in our relational networks from which we feel pressure to treat others in ways that do not reflect the values of the gospel?

• How do we discern between the kinds of things that we don’t want to make an issue out of, and those that are central to our identity as followers of Jesus?

• What was it about Peter’s actions and the actions of those who followed his lead that was serious enough that Paul called him out? What insight does this give us into the importance of how we treat others?

• This passage seems to imply that we share the gospel not only by what we say to others but also by how we relate to them. What thoughts do you have about this?

• Where are the places in your own life where you struggle with or feel vulnerable to the kind of things that Peter gave in to?

• As you reflect on the experience recorded in this passage, what thoughts or feelings surface for you? Take some time to talk with God in prayer about what you are hearing in this passage.