The Israelites were a special people chosen by God. Throughout the Bible, owever, we see them misunderstanding that status. For instance, in the Apostle Paul’s dealings with some Jewish Christians who demanded that Gentile Christians submit to Mosaic Torah requirements such as circumcision and dietary restrictions (see his Letter to the Galatians and the Jerusalem Council passages in Acts 15), their argument seemed to be that although Jesus can save anyone he wants to save, he of course would make them Jewish first, since the Jews are God’s chosen people.
They misunderstood that God chose them to shine his light into the world, not heirs. God didn’t choose the Israelites because they were special; they were special only because God chose them.
Our New Testament passage this week shows us the Apostle Peter confirming God intention of eaching all people everywhere, not just the few born into Judaism.
So Peter opened his mouth and said, “In truth I understand that God is not one who shows partiality, 35 but in every nation the one who fears him and who does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the message that he sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ—this one is Lord of all—37 you know the thing that happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 Jesus of Nazareth—how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him. — Acts 10:34–38
Peter confirms that being Jewish does not get anyone head-of-the-line privileges in Paradise. The sole criterion is belief in Jesus as Lord of all, in whom the Father has granted total authority and power.
In verse 35, the term fear is beyond the usual English understanding of being scared or trepidatious. It indicates a profound respect and deference toward something. We do it all the time with electricity. We use its power for our most basic life support functions (temperature control, light, air irculation), while maintaining a healthy respect for its power by using insulation for wiring, grounding electrical power outlets, not using blow dryers in the shower, etc. Misuse of electricity can be deadly, yet no one is scared of his light switch.
Similarly, God is all powerful and should be approached with reverence, but he loves us and wants to bless us immensely, not hurt us. This is a timeless aspect of God and his promise to the Israelites, as Peter points out. He says that “in every nation the one who fears him and does what is right” is welcomed by God. Notice he does not require them to convert to Judaism or get circumcised or any other decidedly Jewish action first, or even afterward. The Good News of Jesus Christ came through the Jews, and, as Jesus confirms to the woman at the well (John 4), so did salvation; however, the recipients of that grace are not expected or required to use the same path in reverse.
As we enter the transitional stage of our government resulting from our quadrennial election process, we would do well to heed that exhortation from Peter. We do not need to become a Christian theocracy; we do not need the secular government to adhere to biblical principles. Individuals are called to Jesus. Salvation is a personal one-to-one event. No matter what policies or precepts our politicians promulgate, we follow Jesus as individuals. When our government had enacted legislation that seemed to follow biblical principles, we didn’t have to think much about it. As our secular authority began in the past half-century to drastically deviate from those principles, we spent much effort trying to get the government to draw back in line with God’s commands.
But Peter doesn’t say the one whose nation fears him and does what is right; he says that in every nation the one who does these things is acceptable to God. Most of the other nations in biblical times were downright evil. Some might say we are as well. But the good news is that salvation is a personal journey through Jesus and the individual, not a corporate endeavor.
In the Body of Christ, we are part of his Body—not the other way around.
Have a blessed and Happy new year!
Grace and Peace,
Fr. Austin