It is always easier to recognize others’ prejudices rather than our own. Others’ prejudices appear distasteful and threatening. Our prejudices feel familiar and safe to us. They appear as if they protect us. Nevertheless, prejudice diminishes people to certain characteristics based on a group’s reputation or some visible indicators without giving the opportunity to know the person who has been created in the image of God! Praise God that the Lord knows our deep-seated prejudices and knows how to reveal them to us!
There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!”
And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?”
So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. Acts 10:1-4
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The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again. Acts 10:9-16
The Lord had instructed His people that foreigners should not participate in the Passover (See Exodus 13:43). The Jewish people saw the non-Jewish folks as uncircumcised people who were unclean. This created prejudice of nationalism and Judaism in their hearts. However, upon the arrival of Jesus, God began a new covenant with people. Although the promise was to the Jewish nation first, now it was also going to include Gentiles.
Cornelius was a Gentile centurion in the Italian Regiment. This man sought God and feared Him. However, he did not have a full knowledge of the Lord. An angel met this devout man and told him to seek out Peter. At the same time, Peter had a trance where He was told that what God had considered clean, he should no longer call “common.” What if Peter had not been willing to reach Cornelius and his family!? What if Peter had been reluctant to share the trance with his fellow apostles!? It takes faith and courage to go beyond our comfort zone and reach those that we’ve had prejudice towards.
Some of us have been raised in environments where certain groups of people were looked down upon. Some have family prejudices that have been carried through generations. We also have prejudices that are based on how people dress or the number of tattoos on their bodies by which we measure their level of sinfulness. Whether someone lives in sin or not, our prejudice will certainly not bring them any closer to the Lord. If we judge them prematurely, we lose the opportunity to get to know them or speak into their lives.
The truth is that none of the external indicators are a measure of one’s purity or piety. God clearly told His prophet, Samuel, that man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart (See 1 Samuel 16:7)! This is a reminder for all of us that regardless of how spiritual we think we are, our tendency is to measure and judge someone based on the appearance.
I was recently asked to substitute teach for several days at an alternate school. This is where students who do not perform in traditional schooling go to. I found myself drawing all kinds of conclusions about the students that I had not even met. At first, I was reluctant to do it, but after praying about it, the Lord directed me to do it. He also convicted me with the above scripture ( Acts 10:15) that what He calls clean, I am not supposed to call “common” or “unclean.” I am very glad that I did it! My experience proved that my thoughts about them were not accurate. I also had the privilege of speaking into their lives.
The best thing we can do to fight our prejudices is to deny prejudgment based on external factors. We must keep our hearts open with a desire to get to know people. Every person is created in God’s image. Some are God’s children and some are in need of a relationship with the Lord. Either way, we have the privilege of rubbing shoulders with them and be a Godly example of Christ. What God calls clean, we are not called to pronounce “common”!
