Week 30—Monday Colossians 2:11; Romans 10:12-13
Colossians 2:11; Romans 10:12-13
Week 30—MONDAY
“EVEN ON THE GENTILES”
We saw yesterday that the deepest chasm between people—the chasm of race prejudice—was bridged in the moral history of humankind, even wiped out, by a simple method—the Word of equality become flesh. The despised and hated Gentiles received the gift of the Holy Spirit, God’s highest gift, on the same basis as the Jews. That was decisive—and breathtaking. No argument or exhortation could have accomplished this. The account says: “And the believers from among the circumcised who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles” (Acts 10:45). Note: “even on the Gentiles.” To fight with this equality of standing was to fight with God. For God did it.
The same thing happened when Peter reported the happening in the Jerusalem assembly: “‘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 withstand God?’ When they heard this they were silenced. And they glorified God, saying, ‘Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life’” (Acts 11:17-18).
This method of solving a deep-rooted prejudice by the simple expedient of letting people see what God thought of it, by a simple act of God, did more to root out that prejudice than all the disquisitions of philosophers and the exhortation of moralists put together. The problem wasn’t solved, it was dissolved. Race prejudice melted before this tender act of God’s acceptance of the despised ones. At the height of the clash of color, C. F. Andrews on board ship went over and picked up a black baby from its mother’s arms and fondled it. When he came back to the white group, clouds were on their faces. “That isn’t done in South Africa, you know.” That simple act divided the group—the scowling white men belonged to the past; Andrews belonged to the future.
O Blessed God, you did just that. You took into your arms every child of the race in forgiveness and restoration, and as we see it our hearts melt and our lips are silent. We see it; we see it and are forever different. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: I shall look today for an opportunity of doing some act which will dissolve race prejudice.