Handicapped By Spiritual Blindness

​Acts 9:1 – 10:48
 
The Book of the Acts of the Apostles in many ways is a book about new beginnings for the Christian church, as God was fulfilling His plan to include the Gentiles into the Body of Christ, which up to this point was totally Jewish. Almost lock, stock, and barrel, the elitist mindset of spiritual Judaism was carried over into the Way community, and it was anathema to even consider being inclusive beyond Jewishness. The collective leadership of the sect, at the time, then was deeply prejudicial as pointedly illustrated by Peter’s struggle in following through with Cornelius’ Caesarea invitation. On his return to Jerusalem, he was challenged for his liaisons with Gentiles. If not for the supporting testimonies of what God had been doing from those other men who accompanied him and his leadership position, the story may have ended differently (Acts 10-11:1-18). 
 
Human pride and prejudice run through every society and racial group in the fallen created order, engendering social cohesion and isolation too within culturally homogenous groups. God started to break through in His desire to incorporate into His church a people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation, and in a way that did not culturally separate them. We are not told what Peter was praying about, but it was his physical hunger that God responded with a metaphorically gross cuisine that garnered a reaction that was not unexpected. Like Peter, we probably would have thought it was God testing us on consuming non-kosher meat. But His offensive reply to Peter belied the latter’s confusion, knowing the Originator of the visions (Acts 10:15). Our blind spots are frequently the results of our cultural and environmental orientation and upbringing, and unless we admit we are spiritually blind, insight is likely to escape us, and we could miss out on what God desires to do with us. Thankfully, God indirectly explained His metaphor (Acts 10:19-20), and Peter’s willing obedience was the first step to gaining spiritual perception into God’s inclusive salvation for the Gentiles. 
 
A more poignantly merciful encounter was the Lord’s confrontation with Saul on the Damascus Road which resulted in literal blindness. In his state of ignominy, Saul was compelled to reconsider his previously held religious prejudice against the claims of Christ and the Way followers, and it was such a traumatic trial that he went without water and food for three days. There is a distinct kinship between prejudice and loathing, which often gives way to apathy or hatred; the latter exemplified by Saul in the murder of Stephen (Acts 6:7-8:3). As a devout Pharisee, Paul had massive theological and psychological hurdles to overcome after the Damascus confrontation with Christ, that were certain to impact every area of his faith and life. He would for a time be considered a pariah by both the Jewish and the Way communities. However, once his allegiance to Jesus Christ was beyond doubt, the entire Lukan account on Stephen, possibly came from Paul, being one who was specially entrusted with the persecution of the Jewish sect (viz., the Way).
 
“I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” Peter and Saul are not exceptions in their experiences with God. The body of Christ is specifically inclusive of all who belong to Him, without distinction, and that is how the Lord positioned all believers – past, present and future. In our individualistic age of divisiveness and intolerance, our eyes of faith through the love of God ought to subvert our spiritual poverty and blindness in prejudice and apathy towards the worldwide fellow members of the body of Christ and the lost (1 Cor 12:12-27; Eph 4:1-6; Phil 2:1-11). Distinctively, the world ought to be viewed through the Christ in us.