David Bahn – Reflections

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Acts 11:1-18

Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ² So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, ³ “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” ⁴ But Peter began and explained it to them in order: ⁵ “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. ⁶ Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. ⁷ And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ ⁸ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹ But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. ¹¹ And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. ¹² And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; ¹⁴ he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ ¹⁵ As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” ¹⁸ When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

The Rev. Dr. Jeff Gibbs is a good friend and seminary classmate. He was presenting at a pastors conference to which I had invited him. He was a seminary professor by that time, and was offering insights that were biblically sound and spiritually edifying. When one young pastor began to question his conclusions, Jeff answered him patiently. Well done, I thought. That should satisfy him. But, oh no. This young man was not so easily satisfied. He pressed harder. “But that means…” he insisted, laying out his argument against what my friend was saying. Of all the nerve, I thought! He’s just a young pastor with maybe 2 or three years experience. Jeff was 10 or more years into his ministry. He had a PhD, for goodness sake. But Jeff remained very calm and patient. I was almost ashamed that I wanted simply to tamp down the young pastor for his insolence. I was ashamed that I did not often display the patience Jeff did on this occasion. I know Jeff pretty well, and I suspect he would admit to having his moments as well – impatient moments. But not on this occasion.

I’m reminded of this when I read of how Peter answered the people who leveled their criticisms against him. Luke tells us that when they criticized him, “Peter began and explained it to them in order” what had brought this about. He will not just say, “I’m the leader of the Apostles. You just need to get in line with what I say.” He did not claim papal infallibility. He did not just dismiss them. He answered them, telling of how it all came about – the events that Luke records for us in the previous chapter of Acts.

Peter is not one I would think of as patient – based on his track record as a disciple of Jesus during his  three year ministry tour. He was more prone to brash declarations, self-confident pronouncements, and talk-now-think-later speeches. But he seems to have learned something from his time with Jesus, the on-going spiritual formation in the days following Jesus’ resurrection, and his experience on Pentecost. Speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit and seeing 3000 people brought to faith and being baptized on one day might make one arrogant. But all that and the most recent experience of the foods let down from heaven seem to have centered his heart. He is showing signs of patience here. Years later he would even write, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Peter will patiently and in order lay out what had happened and how it was that he had indeed stayed with Gentiles and even eaten with them, and how God had given them the Holy Spirit just as he had others had come to believe in Jesus.

I shake my head. I want to take some lessons from Peter. I want to learn patience. I need to display more of it. Perhaps I need it also to be shown to me once in a while. Yes, perhaps I do.