by Nick Hageman
It’s What I Do
Let me ask you a question: when you get out that new roll of toilet paper, you put the spring bar through the center of the roll and you attach that bar back into the holder, how is your toilet paper hanging? If the loose part is coming over the top of the roll, you’ve done it correctly. And just to follow up on that thought, Android is WAY better than Apple.
That is how I hang toilet paper, and my preferred smart phone OS, therefore the only correct choices. Isn’t it interesting how we have particularities that don’t apply to anyone else, and yet we judge everybody else on their choice in the matter? We usually find these ‘correct choices’ are a by-product of upbringing, or due to sour experiences with the other option (I tried Apple, and found it to be inferior to Android). These habits and preferences of ours tend to be harmless, and are easy to dismiss.
There are other biases, based on upbringing or experience, that are rooted a lot deeper; biases such as race or politics. These ‘correct choices’ tend to be a lot more divisive, and both camps have to convince the other of what is ‘true’. We find it nearly impossible to break people out of the comfort of their camp, especially if one of the reasons is “that’s just the way it’s always been.”
It is in this realm that we find the Jews right after Jesus had ascended into heaven.
Do Not Hang Around Non-Jews
It had always been that way; Jews were raised not to hang out with Gentiles (non-Jewish people). They were unclean. They would lead the Jews astray. It was the rule; do not hang around non-Jews.
They had a Scriptural basis for this absolute rule (e.g. Leviticus
18:24, 20:23 and Joshua 23:6-8). But in
the natural way that humans do, the Jews took these passages of their holy
text, and developed traditions that went far beyond God’s intent. Yes, God
forbade his people from intermarrying with Gentiles, among other prohibitions,
but the intent of God’s law was never to forbid contact altogether. In fact,
countless Old Testament passages proclaimed God’s love for the Gentiles (e.g.
Genesis 12:1-3; Psalm 117; Isaiah 2:1-8).
This is where we find Peter at the beginning of Acts 10. The Jewish tradition of having no contact with Gentiles was preventing the Jewish community of Christ followers from spreading the Gospel.
Peter Had to Have the Same Vision THREE Times
We look at Acts [Acts 10:9-17] and we see Peter waiting to eat. As he waits, he sees animals on a great sheet descending from heaven. As he looks at the snakes and pigs and crabs and eagles in the sheet, Peter hears a voice saying to kill and eat. Peter, being the good Jew that he is, explains to the voice that he has never eaten anything unclean [see Leviticus 11]. The voice tells Peter, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”
Now get this: Peter saw this vision, had the same response, and got the same response in return THREE times! He wasn’t getting it. It’s at that moment that men from Cornelius (a Gentile who had a vision from God to send for Peter [Acts 10:1-8]) came and asked Peter to come to Cornelius’ house. It is upon arriving at Cornelius’ house that Peter understands. He tells Cornelius’ household [Acts 10:28] that though it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with a Gentile, God had shown him (three times to be exact) not to call any person unclean. He then witnesses the Holy Spirit coming upon Cornelius’ household (Gentiles!) and is amazed [Acts 10:44-48].
It Was Easier to Be Comfortable
Looking at this text, it would be typical of us to say, “Well God just had to show the Jews that salvation was for the Gentiles as well.” It would be easy to casually make that remark in our mind and move on. But that would miss the deep-rooted bias that God had to overturn in His disciples.
Jesus had been telling His apostles that salvation was for the Gentiles during his entire ministry; and it culminates in the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations [Matthew 28:19-20]! So why are Peter and his friends [Acts 11:12-17] amazed by the Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit?
I think one of the answers is comfort. The group believed that all Gentiles were unclean. All of Peter’s friends believed this, so it had to be true. Besides, it was how it’s always been. When Jesus said those things, he must have meant something else. Or maybe he didn’t actually say those things? In the comfort of our tradition and upbringing we will find it easy to ignore or interpret differently what God is telling us. We will find it easier to stay with “that’s how it’s always been” rather than to embrace the change that will further God’s Will.
What Do We Need to Do?
We need to be ready to break tradition and accept discomfort as the Holy Spirit prompts us and our leadership to reach our community in different ways. And we’re going to be okay with that…right?!
Unfortunately, we will find that most times we will not be okay with change. Peter saw the vision three times, and saw the Holy Spirit fall on Cornelius’ household and still struggled to learn his lesson. Later on, he fell back into his default position in an incident where Paul had to rebuke him for refusing to accept Gentiles (which Paul writes about in Galatians 2:11-14). He fell back into the comfort of “that’s how it’s always been,” “that’s how I was raised,” “that is my preference so it has to be correct.” It was easier than the change.
In that same way we will put those chains back on ourselves. We will find ourselves complaining about what our leadership is doing differently, rather than praying. We will find ourselves not willing to serve as a sign of protest to change, instead of humbly submitting. We will find ourselves coming up with excuses to not participate in the new areas, instead of believing and obeying.
Then It is Hopeless
It would be correct for us to come to the conclusion that change is hopeless for us. Yet, that would be denying the awesome and mighty power of God. God broke the tradition of sacrifices and the chains we had of earning our own salvation by sending His Son into the world to die and rise again.
This same God is not limited by our desire to be comfortable, our desire to stay in the that’s-how-it-has-always-been state, our desire to not change. Our God will transform us, just as He transformed Peter, and what do we really have to do? All we really have to do is recognize when God is asking us to change. It’s in this recognition that the Holy Spirit will work in us.
So right now, right this very moment, pray to God about what tradition is holding us back from reaching our community. Ask God what bias we have that is stopping us from spreading the Gospel. Request God to show what in the church service is keeping people from coming.
The answer may shock you. The answer will probably shock me. It will probably be the simplest of things, that thing that has always been done in such and such a way. And when the Holy Spirit reveals it, and when the Holy Spirit breaks us of it, we will be astounded as our community joins with us in fellowship and unity in Christ.