Jul 15 – Rise, Kill and Eat!

“And a voice came to him, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ … And a voice spoke to him again the second time, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’” (Acts 10:13, 15)

When the Apostle Peter was caught up in a divine vision, a voice from heaven spoke to him three times. The first time, the voice said, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” The second time, it declared, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” The same message was repeated a third time.

Beginning in Acts chapter 10, we see the Lord extending the message of salvation to the Gentiles. The Jews generally regarded the Gentiles as inferior and ceremonially unclean. Yet the Gospel of Christ was never intended for one nation alone—it was meant for all creation.

The disciples had received the command to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. Through this heavenly vision, God was breaking down the wall of separation that stood between Jews and Gentiles. The Lord is the One who makes the unclean clean, and what He has cleansed should never again be considered unclean.

God has granted each of us only one opportunity to live on this earth. During that time, we must not discriminate between people on the basis of caste, social status, race, ethnicity, language, nationality, or background. This was the lesson Peter needed to learn.

The Lord was, in effect, saying: “Do not judge people as Jew or Gentile, foreigner or native, man or woman, Greek or Hebrew. Do not divide people by language, ethnicity, or social standing. Heaven is open to all. Jesus Christ shed His blood for every person in the world.”

The Lord Jesus came to save sinners. Whoever acknowledges their need of Him and turns to Him in repentance can receive salvation, regardless of their race, caste, nationality, or religious background. God remains faithful to save all who come to Him.

Scripture says: “Surely men of low degree are a vapor, men of high degree are a lie; if they are weighed on the scales, they are altogether lighter than vapor.” (Psalm 62:9)

If a person boasts of belonging to a higher social class, he is embracing a falsehood. If another degrades himself because of a lower status, he is embracing a deception. When both are weighed in God’s scales, they are found equally insignificant apart from His grace.

Even within Christian circles, some continue to place undue emphasis on caste or social distinctions, including in matters such as marriage. Such attitudes are contrary to the spirit of the Gospel. Before God, there is only one holy people—a redeemed people purchased by the blood of Christ.

Children of God, you and I are called to be part of that holy nation, united not by earthly distinctions, but by our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse for further meditation: “Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in.” (Isaiah 26:2)