Peter’s Strange Dream

“Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” — Acts 10:15

In the city of Caesarea, there lived a Roman army officer called Cornelius. He wasn’t a Jew. But he and his whole family loved God. He gave generously to people who were poor, and he prayed to God every day.

One afternoon, at about three o’clock, Cornelius saw an angel of God in a vision. “Cornelius!” said the angel.

Cornelius stared at him, frightened. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.

“God has heard your prayers and seen your gifts to the poor,” said the angel. “Now send some men to the town of Joppa to bring back a man called Simon Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

So Cornelius sent two servants and a soldier to Joppa.

The next day, at about noon, while they were on their way, Peter went up on the flat roof of the house to pray. He was hungry, and he wanted something to eat. While the meal was being prepared, Peter had a vision.

He saw heaven open, and something like a huge sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. In it were all kinds of animals, reptiles and birds, ones that Jewish people weren’t allowed to eat.

Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

“No, Lord!” said Peter. “I have never eaten anything that God’s law says is unclean!”

The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

This happened three times. Then the sheet was taken back up into heaven.

Peter was very puzzled. What could it mean?

While Peter was still thinking about it, the men from Cornelius arrived at the gate. And the Holy Spirit said to Peter, “Three men are looking for you. Get up and go downstairs. Go with them, and don’t worry, because I have sent them.”

So Peter went down and met the men. “I’m the one you’re looking for,” he said. “Why have you come?”

They told him about Cornelius and the angel. So Peter invited them in to stay the night. And the next day, he set off with them to Caesarea.

In those days, Jewish people didn’t go into the homes of people who weren’t Jews, or eat with them. They thought of them as “unclean”. But God was teaching Peter something new. The dream wasn’t really about food. It was about people.

God was about to show Peter that the good news about Jesus is for everyone, Jews and non-Jews alike. Nobody is “unclean” to God. Jesus died for everyone.

Read it in your Bible: Acts 10:1–23

Dear God, thank you that you love people from every country and every background. Please help me never to think anyone is less important than me. Amen.