It Starts Small

Israel in Jesus’ time had a strong sense of identity. There was a clear distinction between a Jew and a Gentile, clean and unclean, and circumcised and uncircumcised.

In our day, many have a list of people who that call “us.” The ones that did not make the list are called “them.” Even worse, there are “those” who they despise, sadly with a generous amount of indignation and self-righteousness. But this relic list belong to our previous life, the “old normal.” They have no room in the “new normal.”

We meet yet another new person on our scripture journey through Acts. This time we meet a man named Cornelius. He is a “devout and God fearing.” If we were going by lists, he was one of “them.” God was about to shake up, more like shred and destroy, this list making of Jew vs Gentile division and for better or worse God chose Peter to do it.

Peter was like the president and CEO of this new religious movement headquartered in Jerusalem. Peter had all the incentive to play it safe and to preserve tradition, after all why rock the boat?

God is amazingly wise! He gave Peter a weird vision and asked Peter to eat some “unclean food.” Peter, a practicing Jew, readily refused. Hoe could he respond any other way? That food just wasn’t unclean, it was repulsive!

Then God uttered one of the most no-nonsense statements recorded in history:

Again, a second time, the voice said to him, “What God has made clean, do not call impure.”

Acts 10:15

God said Peter, do not call the gentiles unclean because God has made them clean. “They” are not your enemy and you are no better than “them.”

For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh,

Ephesians 2:14

Jesus has made the two groups one and has torn down the walls of hostility and division. Look at what scripture says the wall was. A wall of hostility. Not just division, but a hostile wall.

Let us pause and think about our own lives. Do we have walls of hostility to fend “them” off? You know that one family member, a “certain” colleague, the gal who disagrees with your political views?

SO what do we do about these walls we build?

The answer is simple, we need to follow Peter’s example. Stand up! Move across the room and go talk to “them.”

Thoughts to Ponder:

• Are there classifications of “Them” and “those” – someone you do not like?
• Can you pray blessing upon them today?
• What can you do to dismantle the “wall of hostility?”

© Kimberlee Smith 2025 http://www.itstartssmall.com All rights reserved.