Daily Lesson for August 27, 2014

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Acts chapter 10:

Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour2 to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”

This story marks a seismic shift in the religion that would soon come to be known as Christianity. Before this day, it was assumed that if one were to follow in the way of Jesus of Nazareth one needed to keep the customary Jewish dietary restrictions of the time. This went for Jews as well as for Gentile converts, who up until then had also been required to be circumcised. But in today's story the mold was broken. No longer would these things be required.  What was suitable for the past was no longer suitable for the present; God was doing a new thing.

There is a 19th century hymn called "Once to Every Man and Nation" which extolled the struggle to end slavery in America. Among its noble lines are these words:

"New occasions teach new duties, time makes ancient good uncouth,
They must upward still and onward, who would keep abreast of truth."

Some people always wish for us to hold on to old mores. But truth is out ahead of us -- teaching us new ways of thinking and doing and showing us the ways in which "the good old days" weren't all good. 

During his ministry, Jesus taught saying, "You have heard it said . . . But I say to you." And on the last night of his life he said, "I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." 

God's revelation is progressive -- and there is yet even more truth to be made known.