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Monday Meditations |
MONDAY MEDITATION Read: Acts 10:34-48 …I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” If you’re old enough to remember the Smother’s Brothers, you might recall a part of their act where Tommy…the lovable dufus brother….makes this accusation to Dick…the smart, long-suffering brother: “Mom always liked you best.” My family was so taken with this phrase that my brothers and I used it against each other long after the Smother’s Brothers Comedy Hour left the airwaves. In our scripture for today, we find the new church of Jesus in a dramatic discussion: Should Gentiles (non-Jews) be allowed to join the church, and must they first be circumcised and follow Jewish law as part of their admission price? Peter, who desired that non-Jews essentially become Jewish to become part of the church, has been mulling over a vision sent from God, a vision which counters his stand on the issue. Finally, in a total reversal, he is convinced that God doesn’t like anyone best, not even the Jews, not now. Jesus’ law of all-inclusive love expands the boundaries of the chosen people to include “every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” No one can claim that “mom always liked them best.” God has no favorites. Most anyone would agree that God loves everyone, regardless of their status, abilities, police record, or anything else that identifies us as individuals in this life. Following God’s example, we struggle to open our hearts to those who are different from us, because difference tends to make us uncomfortable. Here’s an example: One Sunday morning, a little family of four walks through the doors of the church. The mom and dad is a handsome pair, and the two children are cute and well behaved. All are well dressed and well groomed, friendly and cheerful. That same Sunday morning, a man stumbles through the door, smelling of alcohol and who knows what else. He talks to himself as he makes his way to a pew, and he has trouble making eye contact. Did I mention that he smells really bad? In all honesty, who would you love to see join the church? The happy family or the crazy coot? Who would you talk to (or try to talk to)? Who would you make pains to meet before they left? Who would you invite back? In God’s name, we would do our best to show hospitality to all of them, so that there would be no mistake: God loves everyone best. We pray: Dear Lord, you who love blindly the children of earth, give us such love. Amen.
First Lutheran Church
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