Accepting Others

I don't know that we have anything in 21st century America that really compares to the racial/ethnic circumstances of 1st century Israel. The Jews, as pious as they may have been, were sometimes cruel in their treatment of non-Jews. We know that they so hated the Samaritan "half-breeds" that when they journeyed from northern Israel (Galilee) to southern Israel (Judea), they would bypass the obvious route through Samaria. This is why the woman at the well in John 4 was so shocked that Jesus, a Jewish man, would even consider talking to her (John 4:9).

But their hatred of, or at least their condescension toward the Samaritans was equaled if not trumped by their low opinion of the Gentiles (non-Jews). In Acts 22, as Paul defended himself before his Jewish brethren, he relayed to them the story of his upbringing and of his conversion. The Jews listened to Paul's message until he informed them of how Christ sent him "far from here to the Gentiles" (Ac. 22:1). The text says in verse 22, "And they listened to him until this word, and they raised their voices and said, 'Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live.'" The notion that God had sent Paul to the Gentiles infuriated these pious Jews who believed that only they were "worthy" of God's favor.

That was the culture of 1st century Israel. Again, I don't know if we (especially my generation) can relate at all for we have never had to endure such racial, ethnic or social barriers. And so perhaps, in light of our ignorance, we've failed to grasp the real beauty of Acts 11:18.

Here's the context of Acts 11: the church was comprised only of Jews from Acts 2-9. However, in Acts 10, God created the circumstances for the apostle Peter to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to a group of Gentiles (i.e. the household of Cornelius, a centurion). God provided miraculous proof that He had accepted the Gentiles, and once Peter saw the evidence, he baptized Cornelius and the others. That's right, Gentiles were being baptized, and for the first time, granted access into the church...but more importantly, into a spiritual fellowship/institution that included Jews.

Guess what? The Jewish-Christians in Judea heard the news and were FURIOUS. Again, remember the culture into which these folks were born. This was their mindset. And so Peter, when he came to Jerusalem, had to explain to these enraged Jewish-Christians why he did what he did.

Now notice the beauty of Acts 11:18. After Peter explained the circumstances leading up to the conversion of the Gentiles, these Jewish-Christians in Jerusalem responded this way:

"When they heard these things, they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, 'Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.'"

 I've read this verse dozens of times, but it was just this morning that I came to appreciate what these Jewish-Christians did...how their thinking was transformed completely. These men had always had a very low-opinion of the Gentiles and had perhaps even hated the Gentiles. But now, because of Christ, and because of the circumstances created by God, these men not only accepted the Gentiles, but "glorified God" that the Gentiles could now be saved. Amazing!

The first and most obvious application is to racial and ethnic barriers that may exist in the world today. In Christ, these barriers can be broken down (Eph. 2:13-15). We can transition from hating certain classes of people to having a love for ALL people.

But I think there's a more practical application...

There are sometimes PERSONAL barriers that are raised, even among brethren in the Lord's church. Disagreements arise. There are personality conflicts. We see weak Christians who fall hard to sins like adultery and public drunkenness. Now...how do we respond when these brethren repent or when they apologize to us for wrongs they've committed against us? Do we view them with doubt and suspicion? Or, like these Jewish brethren in Acts 11:18, do we have the strength and love to get excited and to embrace those who turn to God...no matter what barriers may have previously existed?

Think about it.