Listen

The apostles and the brothers and sisters throughout Judea heard that even the Gentiles had welcomed God’s word. When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him. They accused him, “You went into the home of the uncircumcised and ate with them!”

Acts 11:1-3

Think

When you take a picture, one of the factors you need to be aware of is focus. You almost never want the central object to be blurry while the background is in focus. When we are out of focus, we lose sight of what is important. In our scripture for today, God is doing impressive things, like giving the Holy Spirit to people who are not of Jewish heritage. This demonstrated the love of God that extends to all humankind, without distinction of person. The news spread throughout Judea, and Peter returns to confirm the experience. Instead of being received with applause, the news is met with criticism. The church had lost focus. However, this did not stop Peter from standing firm and recounting his experience with God’s grace.

Love gives us power, and with that power comes great responsibility. We have a responsibility to share the love of Christ, even when it is met with criticism. We have the responsibility to keep the focus (and sometimes adjust it) on the realities of God’s kingdom.

Juan Diego Rojas Miranda

Question to Ponder:

Where is your focus?

Pray

Christ Jesus, you are my fullness. Help me to focus on what is essential. Remove all distractions from my mind that would take away my focus on your mission. I love you, God. Amen.

Go

“I have decided to follow Christ,

my eyes fixed on the cross,

I will not turn back.”

Joshua Holiday, “Goodbye Yesterday,” Elevation Worship, 2024