Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Sunday, June 30, 2013 Read – Acts 10:9-23a The scene now shifts to Joppa where Peter is staying. Luke had conveniently brought Peter to this place where he is more accessible to Cornelius – the truth is God had brought Peter to this place. The occasion is a time of prayer – Peter goes up on the roof of Simon’s house for a time of seclusion with God in prayer. He is soon overcome with a deep hunger. While the food is being prepared Luke tells us that Peter enters into a deep “trance” – are we to understand “trances” as being the same thing as “visions” or “appearances?” Luke really does not distinguish and it is likely that all three are meant to be synonymous with one another. In his trance, Peter sees a strange sight. A large sheet comes down from heaven filled with all kinds of animals – some are clean but many are unclean. Peter receives the command to kill and eat. As a good Jew, Peter refuses. We are reminded of Ezekiel who was commanded by God to make his bread on a fire using human dung – he refuses too because to do so would have been to become unclean. God allows Ezekiel to use cow dung (Ezekiel 4:1-17). The sheet is lowered and raised three times which adds emphasis to the story. We have noticed before that repetitions of three are a technique gospel writers use to provide emphasis. We are never told whether or not Peter actually obeys the word and eats the animals. In actuality, as we will see, the story is not really about eating or not eating food. If one were to guess, it is likely that Peter never does eat the unclean animals. The words that Peter hears are what is important – “What God has made clean you must not call profane” (Acts 10:15). The episode ends with Peter being greatly puzzled (Acts 10:17). In good storytelling technique, at just this moment the messengers from Cornelius arrive at the door of the house Peter is staying. While Peter is puzzling over the meaning the vision he had during the trance the Spirit tells Peter to go down into the house because three men are looking for him. The voice of the Spirit is not part of the trance – once again we are left to ponder just how God speaks. How do we know it was the Spirit? How does Peter know? Once again it is faith that must decide. When Peter encounters the messengers from Cornelius, having heard the Spirit’s command, Peter crosses the first of many barriers that are shattered in this story – he welcomes these Gentiles into the house! What else was he to do? The Spirit had spoken – the trance with its vision of the animals in the sheet was still swimming in his mind. Readers of the book of Acts can anticipate that there is much more coming in this story.