Opening Our Hearts

Text: Acts 10:34 - "Then Peter began to speak: 'I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism.'"

The Moment of Revelation

Peter stands in the home of Cornelius, a Roman centurion, and speaks words that would forever change the trajectory of the early church. This simple statement—"God does not show favoritism"—represents a seismic shift in understanding. For Peter, this wasn't theoretical theology. This was a hard-won revelation that shattered his deeply held assumptions about who God loves and who belongs in God's family.

The Journey to This Moment

To appreciate the power of this verse, we need to understand Peter's journey. He had grown up with clear boundaries: Jews and Gentiles were separate. Clean and unclean were distinct categories. The people of God had defining markers, and everyone knew where the lines were drawn.

But God gave Peter a vision—a sheet lowered from heaven containing animals he'd been taught were unclean. Three times God commanded him to "kill and eat," and three times Peter protested. Then came God's response that cuts through our human categories: "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."

Shortly after, messengers from Cornelius arrived. The Spirit told Peter to go with them without hesitation. And now, standing in a Gentile home—something that would have been unthinkable days before—Peter finally understands.

What Does It Mean That God Shows No Favoritism?

This phrase in Greek is prosopolemptes—literally, "one who receives the face." God doesn't look at external appearances, social status, ethnicity, or religious pedigree to determine who is worthy of His love.

Peter realized that:

God's love isn't limited by our categories

God's grace isn't constrained by our prejudices

God's invitation isn't restricted by our traditions

The ground at the foot of the cross is level. We all come as sinners in need of grace. We all approach as beloved children God desires to welcome home.

The Challenge for Us Today

This truth should comfort us and challenge us in equal measure.

It comforts us because no matter our background, our past, our failures, or our fears—God does not show favoritism against us. You are not too far gone. Your story is not too messy. Your questions are not too big. God's arms are open wide.

It challenges us because we, like Peter, often create categories of who deserves God's love. We draw lines between:

"Us" and "them"

The worthy and unworthy

Those who belong and those who don't

Who are the "Gentiles" in your life—the people you've unconsciously placed outside the circle of God's favor? Maybe it's people of a different political persuasion, a different economic class, a different lifestyle, or a different background. God is asking us the same question He asked Peter: "Do not call impure what I have made clean."

Living Into This Truth

If God shows no favoritism, then neither should we. This means:

In our churches: We create spaces where everyone genuinely feels welcome—not where we tolerate others, but where we celebrate that God is drawing all people to Himself.

In our communities: We cross the dividing lines of race, class, and culture, building genuine relationships that reflect the kingdom of God.

In our hearts: We examine our prejudices, confess our blind spots, and ask God to give us His eyes to see every person as someone made in His image and deeply loved.

The Good News

The gospel Peter proclaimed that day in Cornelius's house is the same gospel for us: "Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name" (Acts 10:43).

Everyone. Not just people who look like us, think like us, or vote like us. Everyone.

This is breathtakingly good news. It means there's room for you at God's table. It means the person you struggle to love is also invited. It means God's family is far bigger, far more diverse, and far more beautiful than we could ever orchestrate on our own.

Closing

Peter's words in Cornelius's house that day echo down through the centuries to us: God does not show favoritism. Let that truth sink deep into your soul. Let it heal your insecurities. Let it challenge your prejudices. Let it expand your vision of God's kingdom.

And then, like Peter, may we have the courage to cross whatever boundaries we've erected and extend the same radical welcome that God has extended to us.

Amen.