Easter 5C’25
18 May 2025
Acts 11.1-18
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
North Little Rock, Arkansas
The Rev. Carey Stone <+>
O God, give us the eyes of faith to see You in the faces of our neighbors; the wisdom to drop our labels, stereotypes and judgments, and the courage to reach out with the hands of your Love, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
I enjoy movies of all kinds, but the ones I find myself gravitating toward the most are movies based on a true story. Whenever I see those words come up on the screen at the beginning: “This film is based on a true story” it draws me in and sets the stage for a story that’s reality based and (if a good movie) meaningful. I also like what films like these tend to have at the end; some sort of epilogue with photos of the actual people involved that the movie was based on, and captions explaining the final outcome of their lives.
Our first reading comes from the book known as “The Acts of the Apostles” the true story of the movements and happenings of the early Church. These early chapters of the ‘True Story of the Church’ sets the stage for all the later chapters of the Church that are still being written.
At each particular age and stage of the Church significant shifts and changes have to be navigated in order for the Church to meet the needs of current and future generations. We see a remarkable precedent in the story of Peter’s vision.
The Good News was being preached and it came to the attention of the apostles that Gentiles were receiving the Word of God that Jesus was the Messiah! Peter who had been involved in this spreading of the word beyond the boundaries of the Jewish believers got him called on the carpet of the Church council that the scripture refers to as “circumcised believers” and they had harsh and critical words for Peter – because up to that point there were no such thing as Gentile or non-Jewish believers.
Peter explained the “why” of his unorthodox actions step by step in the vision he had seen while praying. In this vision a large white sheet comes down out of heaven in what was ‘the first retractable projection screen’ where all different kinds of animals appeared. In addition to animals that were considered to be kosher (or clean) like sheep and cows, there were also animals like pigs and shellfish. Then Peter hears these words, “Get up Peter, kill and eat” how bizarre this would have been to any observant Jewish person. Peter replies, “No way God, nothing profane or unclean has ever even entered my mouth.” Again, God says the same thing two more times making a total of three times – the number of the Trinity. God makes the message of the vision crystal clear: “What God has made clean you must not call profane, (meaning unclean!)” At this moment the sheet retracted back into heaven and Peter is told to no longer make a distinction between “them and us.” six others then joined Peter in going to a Gentiles home in Joppa where Peter preached the Good News to an Italian family who receives the Holy Spirit – just like the very first believers in Jesus.
Peter witnessed this miraculous transformation of an entire gentile family! Peter in his excitement and dismay says, “who was I that I could hinder God!” He was saying in effect, ‘I know this is supposed to be happening to gentiles but here I am witnessing it with my own eyes!’ The Church council of apostles confirmed Peter’s vision as genuine and the Word of God was taken unreservedly to the gentiles.
What happened? Did God change God’s mind are people who were considered to be unclean now clean (meaning acceptable to God)? Was God learning something or were we? How did this set in motion a precedent that continues to our own day?
The words of John 3:16 were set in Motion: For God so love the world, that he gave his only son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Gentiles were welcomed without having to undergo circumcision or eat only kosher foods – they wouldn’t have to give up their ‘Whole Hog barbeque’ to become acceptable to God.
• These ripples of God’s love an acceptance of all continued:
To those with physical and psychological disabilities who based on OT scriptures were that way because of the sins of their parents.
• Another group – the left-handed weren’t normal and we came to place of seeing that they were accepted by God.
• Slavery was perfectly acceptable for many centuries. During the Civil War The Episcopal branch of the church was divided with even some bishops owning slaves. Sermons were preached in favor of slavery citing verses of scripture – the church wrestled with the issue and eventually came down on the right side of the issue – no one should be enslaved.
• After this came Women’s suffrage and equality and women’s ordination
• Then came the civil rights movement segregation is deemed inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus.
• Then came controversy over divorce
• Then in 2003 with the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church
• Supreme Court agreed that gay marriage was constitutional
• Now Transgender persons are the focus
• One of the hymns from today’s service says: “Where generation, class, or race divide us to our shame, God sees not labels, but a face, a person, and a name.” (Hymn #603)
• Look at the blank projection screen in the bulletin: Who or what is on your screen and my screen that we still see as being unclean?