Profane and Sacred

READ: 2 Chronicles 25, 26; Psalms 12; Acts 10: 1-23

SCRIPTURE: Acts 10: 14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

OBSERVATION: People would say that I will obey if Jesus directly tells me to do anything specific. We expect people to say “yes” to the Lord and obey him without question. In Acts 10, Peter says, “No” to God and refuses to comply with the Lord’s command. He was not the first one to say, “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” About five centuries before, prophet Ezekiel made a similar refusal to God (Eze.4:13-15). Jews hate to eat unclean foods and were ready even to die if forced (They did it during the Maccabees time). Scholars observe that every religion or culture divides all things in the world into two categories: profane and sacred (unclean and clean). People’s religious beliefs, society, and cultural practices use these two categories to accept or reject people, unite people or discriminate against them. The idea concerning “unclean or clean” divides people and leads them to show partiality based on color, race, gender, and caste.

Jesus has already taught us what makes a person unclean or defiles a man (Mt. 15:11; Mk.7:15). When apostle Paul writes to Timothy, he says, “everything God created is good,” and warns him about the teachings of deceiving spirits that forbid people to abstain from certain things (1 Tim.4:1-5). As Christians, we should be watchful about what comes from our hearts, not on our and others’ outward appearance. It is easy to say, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33). But, the real challenge is to put it into practice. When the Lord asks us to do something against our expectations or/and social norms, we must obey him without any delay. God can make anything to be clean and pure. When we obey God’s word, we become God’s channel of blessings to others. God speaks even today. Do you listen to his words? Perhaps, he says something you do not like or want to hear.

APPLICATION: I will obey Jesus’ words without boasting anything about me. I will always be ready to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all people. I should not discriminate against people based on their caste, color, race, and gender. I should see people just as God sees them. He is the Lord who makes me Holy. He can make anyone clean and pure.

PRAYER: Father God, you are the Good God, and everything you created is good. Jesus, use me to help others understand the purpose of their life. Amen.

- Arputharaj Samuel
+91 9538328573

Day - 194