Acts 9:32 - 10:33 "When God Says to Eat it Anyway

So, I’ve been a touring musician and I’ve been a pastor. Those two jobs have one thing very much in common—they put me in situations where I have to be around people. Which I usually love. I’m not exactly an extrovert but my favorite thing in the world is to sit down with good food and have great conversation with fun people. But good food, great conversation, and fun people aren’t always on the menu.

I’ve suffered through many meals in smoke-filled rooms with less than appetizing cuisine listening to someone go on and on about something absolutely mind numbing. Sometimes they were the promoter or a congregation member. Again, usually I love this sort of thing but sometimes… Like when we were touring Japan, they took us out to a restaurant that served raw chicken. No thank you. Actually, I had been advised to not tell Japanese people “no” because it’s considered rude, but to instead say, “Maybe later.” Which is what I said about the raw chicken. The host, who had been with us the whole trip, said, “I think when Mr Frank says “Maybe later, he means ‘no.”

Another time, I was scheduled to have lunch with three elderly ladies in a previous church. On the way driving over I thought, “Okay Frank, you’re going to be the most charming, kind person they’ve ever had lunch with. You’re going to make it all about them. You’re going to ask questions about their grandchildren and their life. You’re going to just be a delight. They’re going to think they just had lunch with Jimmy Fallon” I tried. I really did. One lady started complaining and grumbling about everything in her life and the church—she was so negative. Another one of the ladies was just as bad, didn’t have a positive thing to say about anything. I attempted to nudge the conversation toward something interesting, anything not bleak. I couldn’t do it. No one is going to give me a late night talk show. Check please!

I’m sure you’ve all been there. The dinner party where that one person won’t stop talking about politics. Or they serve you a plateful of suspicion—is that food? Am I supposed to eat it? Is this a prank? Is this an episode of Fear Factor? Where’s the hidden camera? Or you’re stuck at the end of the table with people who don’t seem to know how to have a conversation—you try to make nice while secretly hoping someone in your family calls with an emergency so you’ll have an excuse to leave. “I’m sorry, I hate to leave but I just found out I don’t want to be here anymore.”

Well, sometimes God calls us to be at that table, at that party—when He does, there’s more going on than just our mild discomfort. Sometimes we just have to suck it up, not make it about us, and do it anyway.

We’re continuing to go through the Book of Acts line by line, we’re in chapter nine.

The persecution that Saul started in Jerusalem against the Christians had scattered them all over the country. With his conversion to Christ, the church had a few years of peace where it was free to grow in all the places where it had taken root. All these newbie Christians were going to need solid teaching, so the apostles were traveling to the various cities and helping raise up leaders.

We catch up with Peter in his adventures… 

As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. Acts 9:32-35

This is very similar to the beggar Peter had met at the Beautiful Gate in Jerusalem. Notice John isn’t with him anymore—there were too many churches for them to continue going two by two. There’s a man named Aeneas who had been crippled and laying in his bed for eight years—long before Jesus even started His public ministry. We don’t know if the guy was part of the church in Lydda or not but some of the believers invited Peter to the house where he was bedridden—maybe the church met there, maybe for the purpose of healing him, we don’t know. 

I love how Peter just says, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and put away your bed.” So bossy. Maybe we should pray more like that. If you do, you better be sure. Ha.

The healing was to point people to Jesus, not just to get the guy back on his feet. That’s always what healing in this life is for. We should definitely keep that in mind.

God is going to heal you. And He’s going to heal you through Jesus—by His stripes you are healed. It might be in this life, to bring God glory and point to the Gospel, but it will certainly be in the next life where we are promised no more pain or sickness.

Everyone who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw the guy walking around and giving the credit to Jesus—and they all turned to the LORD. People turning to the LORD is the point of all this. Do we understand that? That when we pray for healing, the purpose is to point people to Jesus? For the Gospel to heal their souls, forgive their sin? Sometimes I wonder.

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Acts 9:36-37

I don’t know why Luke has to be like this. A sweet old lady named Tabitha—a perfectly lovely name. Luke makes sure to tell us in Greek her name is Dorcas. Dorcas! Actually, it was a very common name and didn’t have the same connotation that it has for us. Have you ever known someone named Dorcas? I have. It used to be a somewhat normal grandma’s name. In Greek, Dorcas means gazelle, so Luke’s actually painting the picture of a graceful, beautiful elderly woman. She was a very loved member of the church in Joppa. What better thing could you say of someone than “she was always doing good and helping the poor.”

Well, she died, and they did the normal preparations for a burial. But word got around that Peter was in a nearby town. Did they just want him to come preach at the funeral? Or did they have something a little more exciting in mind?

Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!” Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. Acts 9:38-39

People were usually buried the same day they died back then, so this all happened really fast. They go get Peter and he immediately goes with them. They take him upstairs to the room where the body is waiting for burial. 

One of the ways Dorcas had helped the poor was by making clothes for them. So, the room is filled with widows all wearing the beautiful robes and other things she had made for them. Everyone’s crying and showing Peter their fancy dresses. 

The setting should remind us of the time Peter went with Jesus to the house of Jairus when his daughter died. That house was full of mourners, too—but they were professionals—these were people who actually knew her and loved her. But Peter remembers what Jesus did that day… 

Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon. Acts 9:40-43

He raised the woman from the dead! Gives a whole new layer of meaning to “going to a wake!” Again, it’s interesting, the way he did it, “Tabitha, get up.” Like she was doing something wrong. “Why you just laying around in the middle of the day!” So bossy.

He brings all her church friends back in the room, “She’s feeling much better now!” She was dead, now she’s not. I can’t imagine how amazing that must have been. And not just because now she’ll be able to finish all the dresses she was working on—news of this resurrection got around. Many more people believed in the Lord. It probably goes a long way when you’re telling the story of Jesus coming back from the dead when you can point to Dorcas who’s sitting there in church.

The last line is some interesting foreshadowing—Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

A tanner is a person who takes animal skins and makes things out of them—leather for clothes, saddles, belts, tents—all kinds of stuff. Thing is, because they worked with dead animals all the time, they were almost always ceremonially unclean according to Jewish law. Peter staying with him at his house is an interesting setting for what’s about to happen.

But first, let’s travel about 30 miles north and meet a very interesting Roman soldier. 

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. Acts 10:1-2

Cornelius. A wealthy leader in the Roman military. He would have been the direct commander of about 100 men, part of a much larger force called  the Italian Regiment. He was a Gentile but was as close to being a Jew as you could get—if you weren’t willing to be circumcised or obey all the dietary laws and other practices of actual Jews. He prayed, went to synagogue, and gave a lot of money to help people. He obviously had real faith in the One True God.

One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Acts 10:3-4

It’s three in the afternoon, Cornelius is praying, and an angel shows up. “God has noticed your prayers and how generous you have been.” Not bad for a pagan soldier, right?

Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa. Acts 10:5-8

Cornelius is about to have his deepest prayers answered. He’s a God-seeker. The angel tells him to send for a guy named Peter. Why didn’t the angel just tell him about Jesus? Why go to all the trouble of sending for Peter, waiting on him to show up. Wouldn’t it be more impressive coming from a heavenly angel? No. It wouldn’t. That’s not how God wants to save the world. He wants us to tell people the Gospel. People. You and me. 

Cornelius must have a pretty great relationship with his servants and soldiers because he tells them the whole crazy story about an angel and a vision before sending them to Joppa.

Meanwhile, back in Joppa… 

About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. Acts 10:9-16

It’s noon. Lunchtime. Peter goes up on the roof to pray. That’s not as weird as it sounds. They used their roofs for all kinds of things, usually had a nice tent up there for shade—since Simon was a tanner, I’m sure it was a really cool leather tent. A nice place to pray and wait for lunch.

He could smell the food, he was getting hungry. And God gave him a strange vision.

Heaven opens up and a sheet, like Aladdin's magic carpet, comes flying down with all kinds of animals on it. Pigs on a blanket, rabbits, moles, owls, maybe a camel, a few bats, lizards, weasels, frogs, probably a bunch of rats—among other things. God says, “You hungry? Kill these critters and eat them.”

Peter’s like, “Gross. Those things are disgusting. Unclean. Unholy. Forbidden. Haven’t you read the Bible? I’ve never eaten any of those things and I never will.”

Peter is really good at saying, “No, Lord.” Two words that don’t really go together.

The voice is probably an angel but it’s definitely speaking for God, “You shouldn’t call unclean what I say is clean. If I say it’s good to eat, then it’s good to eat.”

Peter sounds like my kids when they were little, “I don’t like green beans. I don’t like peas.”

We always told them, “You don’t have to like your food, you just have to eat it.”

They go back and forth three times. God says, “Kill and eat,” Peter says, “But I don’t want to.”

Remember when Jesus reinstated Peter as an apostle? He asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Peter said, “You know I do.” And do you remember what Jesus said?

“Feed my sheep.”

Well, Jesus has other sheep in other pastures, and Peter is going to have to get over his gag reflexes if he’s going to sit down and fellowship with them over a meal. This is going to be part of what “feed my sheep” means. It’s not going to be easy for him. It’s not any easier for us. It’s hard to sit down and eat with people who disgust you—especially if the food they serve isn’t something you like. 

While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. Acts 10:17-18

Well, look at that timing! It’s like God was trying to tell him something.

While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?” The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people (code for he gives a lot of money to our synagogue). A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. Acts 10:19-23

Peter had to be like, “Oooh! This isn’t only about bacon wrapped shrimp—this is about taking the Gospel to the Gentiles. Eating with them. Fellowshiping with them. Eating their gross food. So they can find out about Jesus. God wants to save them, too.

Next week we’ll travel with Peter to the house of Cornelius and hear what he has to say to him, and find out what happens. It’s a world rocking worship service, we wouldn’t be here without it.

We’ll wrap up today by looking at a few of the implications from today’s text.

One of the things I run into all the time when I try to share the Gospel with people is their misunderstanding of the Old Testament laws about clean and unclean—the Levitical code, the holiness laws.

God made certain laws that were only for His people, the Hebrews. And there’s some weird ones. God doesn’t explain Himself very often, and any attempt to try and understand why these things were important to Him are only going to frustrate us.

These are not the same thing as the moral laws, like the Ten Commandments—the laws that are built into the fabric of creation, encoded into the consciences of all people. These clean and unclean rules are religious laws for Hebrews under the Old Covenant to separate them from the Gentiles.

The dietary laws are the ones God uses to teach Peter the lesson, but they’re only the beginning. Peter’s vision makes it clear that because of Christ fulfilling the holiness code, the religious Law, that Christians are not bound by those rules. We are free to eat pork, casseroles, and anything else. Like Jesus said, “It is not what goes into a person’s mouth that defiles them but what comes out.” 

The moral laws still stand, though. Murder, sexual sin (including lust, fornication, homosexuality, and adultery), also envy and stealing—everything that has to do with hurting people and being hateful and greedy—those things are still not okay. What God calls sin is still sin. If you don’t worship God alone and love people unselfishly—those things will ruin your life. Wreck your relationships. And poison the world.

But when we bring those sins up these days, especially the sexual ones, people are like, “Well, the Bible also says not to wear cotton blends because mixed fibers are unclean.” No, it doesn’t. Not anymore. We are free to eat shellfish. We can have pet lizards. A woman’s cycle doesn’t make her an outcast. Touching a dead body isn’t a spiritual problem. We don’t need special purification after sleeping with our spouse. We can plant carrots, potatoes, and onions in the same garden. And thankfully, no one has to be circumcised.

And most importantly, It also means the Jewish ideas about not hanging out with non-jews had come to an end. Peter is being commanded to be the guest of a Roman Gentile, sit at his table, and eat his Italian feast complete with pork sausage and prosciutto—meat drenched in alfredo sauce! Some fried calamari, maybe an appetizer of salami. Sounds delicious to me but Peter was going to struggle.

The holiness laws of the Old Testament came to an end with Christ. Obedience to God’s moral law did not. People still have a hard time understanding this. 

How Jewish do we have to be in order to be Christian? The answer is none. Zero. Peter is going to continue to struggle with this sometimes. Half the New Testament is written to correct the Jews who were trying to force all the new Gentile Christians to act more like Jews.

We do the same kind of thing. 

We think people of other nations need to act more like Americans if they’re going to be Christians. Nope.

We think long-haired freaky people need to clean their act up. Tats, piercings, crazy hair colors. They need to look more like a Christian! Nope. Not part of the deal.

We think they need to vote a certain way. Oooh, that’s a big one. I keep talking about this and I’ll hit a nerve. Red nerves and blue nerves—even purple nerves. We need to speak up for the vulnerable, we need to stand up for the truth, we need to be active in our government since it’s of the people, by the people, for the people—but our entire allegiance has to be with Jesus Christ, not a political party or politician. And, AND, Jesus was very clear about how we are to treat our enemies. Pray for them, be patient with them, be kind to them. 

Why did I bring all this up? Not to stir the pot, I assure you. I bring it up because we need to fight against the urge to gag when God tells us to love people we don’t want to love. To have fellowship and dine with people that we’d rather not.

Jesus has called us to get past our cultural, social, and religious boundaries to extend His love and grace to people who are different from us—even people we don’t like.

It’s the most important thing in the world to be obedient to God’s leading, even when it seems completely counterintuitive and goes against our preconceived ideas—even when it looks like a bunch of frogs and lizards floating in the soup. If God says to eat it… Bon appetit!

The Holy Spirit will give you the grace to do these difficult things. Lean into your faith and try just a little faithfulness. It will be enough. Whatever God is telling you to do that you don’t want to do—do it anyway. Try not making it about you.

That’s the take-away from all this: Do it anyway, don’t make it about you.

Also, and we’ll get into this more next week, but why did Cornelius need to hear about Jesus? He was a Roman who already had hundreds, maybe thousands of gods to worship. He was free to add Yahweh and Jesus to the pantheon. What’s the big deal? 

This question is still very important in our culture. Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life. That no one comes to the Father unless they come with Him. There are not multiple ways to God, there is only one way. Jesus Christ is the only name by which you can be saved. Any other religion is a dead end—a literal dead end.

Jesus overcame every social and sinful barrier to sit at the table with you. You were far off, you were an outsider, you were unclean in your sin—but Jesus didn’t hesitate. He came into your world, into your mess, and invited you to feast at His table. No matter who you are, where you’ve been, or what you’ve done, Jesus calls you to Himself—through His death and resurrection, He welcomes you into His family. It wasn’t easy, in Gethsemane He asked if there was another way—but He didn’t make it about Himself, He did it anyway. AMEN