This reflection is actually from yesterday's readings... Peter is undergoing massive transformation as he moves from identifying himself as primarily Jewish to this new understanding of what it means to be a Christ-follower. It's a struggle moving from such strict legalism to a newer transcendent understanding of the law and its purpose. Here, we see Peter beginning to understand what Jesus meant when he said "it's not what goes into the mouth, but what comes out that defiles..." It's a hard thing to break a lifetime's worth of reinforcing a habit or an understanding. That's why you and I have to really listen to the old tapes that run through our minds of what we perceive in the world to be okay and what's not. Our tendency is to react to situations based on what we've always known. How have we known? It's what our parents told us. How did they know? It's what their parents told them... and so on. Do you see how the cycle goes? Peter wasn't just fighting his own understanding, but a cultural understanding that had been passed down for generations. What are we blind to today? How resolute are you in the assumptions you make when taking a position on something? Pray for fresh and clear guidance today. Pray that God remove the scales from our eyes.
Readings: 1 Kings 19:1-21; Acts 12:1-23; Psalm 136:1-26; Proverbs 17:14-15
