“What We Want to See”

Sunday, February 06, 2022

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10.34-35)

With these words, Peter began the first gospel sermon delivered to an audience of Gentiles.  His choice of words shows that this isn’t a popular opinion or an accepted fact.  Rather, he voices it as a concession—as a surprising conclusion he can no longer avoid.  That’s hard for us to grasp, because we take it for granted;  we would be disturbed by the suggestion that God acts prejudicially on the basis of race.  But Peter is surprised to have arrived at this conviction.  Why?  Because, to paraphrase Paul in Romans 2.17-20, he called himself a Jew, relied on the law and knew God’s will; he could consider himself a guide to the blind and an instructor of the foolish, because of his heritage as a Jew, and therefore his important place in God’s plans. And he wasn’t far off.  In contrast to the Jews, the Gentiles were formerly

separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. (Ephesians 2.12)

Later in the same letter, Paul calls God’s plan from the start a “mystery,” now revealed: “that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ep 3.6).  The Jews didn’t expect this, despite hints in the Old Testament, such as this one:

In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11.10)

The Messiah would not only be the chosen one for the Jews, but for the nations—the Gentiles!  Yet the Jewish audience, happy to agree the Messiah would rule over the Gentiles, didn’t realize that he would rule over the Jews themselves in the very same way!  They imagined he would give them glory and put them above the nations—they were, after all, God’s chosen people.

Jesus himself gave plenty of hints about this mystery, for example saying in John 10.16,

“And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

There’s plenty more where that came from, but although the apostles heard him speak these words, they still didn’t get it.  Jesus told them to be his “witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Ac 1.8).  In fairness to the apostles, the Jewish diaspora included much of Europe, North Africa, Babylon, and farther east, as well.  It’s understandable that they would have assumed he meant the gospel was to spread to those Israelites who had been scattered to the four winds.  But “to the end of the earth?”  There were not at that time a whole lot of Jews in Britain, nor in Japan, nor in North America.  “To the end of the earth” is what Jesus said, though. 

Even the message the apostles preached implied that God was opening the door to the Gentiles.  Peter reminded the crowds at the temple of the promise God gave to Abraham:

“‘in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.” (Acts 3.25-26)

It seems impossible to miss, and yet a lot of time passed between this proclamation and Peter’s somewhat begrudging admission before Cornelius, “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality.”  How could it be that the very men tasked with making “disciples of all nations” (Mt 28.19) had to be prodded forward into sharing the gospel with the first Gentiles?  Why was Peter criticized by Christians immediately upon returning to Jerusalem?  “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them,” they said (Ac 11.3), and it wasn’t a statement of fact, but an accusation!  Despite the clear and mounting evidence to be found in God’s hints and eventually direct statements throughout the ages, they continued to see what they wanted to see.

God is patient, and led them along at his own pace, until they finally realized the obvious: that “God shows no partiality.”  It’s not the only time God has put up with man’s failures on a fairly basic issue, and gently coaxed him in the right direction over a period of time spanning generations.  There was polygamy, divorce, slavery, and more.  We tend to accept what society tells us is right and wrong, never mind that the standards are different now from those of ten years ago—or perhaps even ten minutes ago!  Anyone who’s not up on the current orthodoxy (subject to change without notice) is a prime target for shame and ostracizing.  When the overwhelming majority around you say this is right and that is wrong, will you go along with them, or sincerely seek God’s word on the matter?  When you examine his word, will you see what you want to see, or what he actually said?  Would his patience have endured, if Peter had still refused to go and preach the gospel to Cornelius’ household after Jesus told him the distinction between Jews and Gentiles was passing away, just like the Jews’ dietary code with its distinction between clean and unclean foods, saying, “What God has made clean, do not call common” (Ac 10.15)?  Best not to find out!  Instead, follow Peter’s example and adhere to God’s word not only when your enemies disagree, but when your friends disagree, too.  Society’s orthodoxy means nothing in the long run.  Conforming to society makes your life a little easier, but you have to give up your soul in exchange.  Worry instead about conforming to the image of God’s Son.

Jeremy Nettles

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