One day, a man named Peter, a disciple of Jesus, was on a rooftop praying. It was just noon, and Peter was hungry. While he was waiting for the food, he had a strange and wonderful vision, which is like a special dream that God showed him.
Peter saw the heavens open, and something like a great linen cloth came down. It was held by the four corners and lowered itself to him. In the cloth were many different animals, birds and reptiles – some were animals that people did not normally eat because they were considered unclean.
Peter heard a voice saying, “Get up, Peter, slaughter and eat!” This made Peter suspicious. He said, “No, Lord! I have never eaten anything unclean or forbidden.” Peter always wanted to obey God and do only what was right.
Then the voice spoke again: “What God has cleansed, do not call unclean!” This happened three times, and then the cloth was lifted up again to heaven. Peter knew that he had seen something very important, but he was not yet sure what it meant.
While Peter was pondering the vision, men knocked on the door. These men came from the house of a Roman centurion named Cornelius. Cornelius loved God and had also had a vision that he was to fetch Peter. The men explained to Peter that Cornelius wanted to ask him to come to his house and talk to him.
The Holy Spirit said to Peter, “Go with them without hesitation, for I have sent them.” Peter understood that God wanted to tell him not only about food, but also about people. In God’s eyes, no one should be excluded or considered unclean, no matter where they come from or who they are.
So Peter, along with the men, made his way to Cornelius to share God’s message of love and peace with him.
Message of history
God loves all people, no matter who they are, and wants us to love everyone as He does, without making distinctions.
Bible passage
The vision of Peter and the clean and unclean animals is described in Acts 10:9-23:
Acts 10:9-23 (Schlachter 2000): “The following day, while they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter climbed up to the roof to pray at the sixth hour. 10 And when he became hungry, he wanted to eat. But while they were preparing something, a rapture came over him; 11 And he saw the heavens opened, and a vessel descending to him, like a great linen cloth bound at four ends, and being lowered to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping beasts, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, slaughter and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “Not at all, Lord! For I have never eaten anything vile or unclean! 15 And a voice came to him a second time, saying, “Do not consider what God has cleansed to be evil.” 16 This happened three times, and then the vessel was drawn up again into heaven. 17 But while Peter was keeping to himself, and did not know the meaning of the apparition he had seen, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, after inquiring about Simon’s house, had gone to the gate, 18 and called someone and asked if Simon, who was named Peter, was a guest here. 19 While Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you; 20 So get up, get down, and go with them without hesitation, for I have sent them. 21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him by Cornelius and said, “Behold, I am the one you seek; what is the reason for your coming? 22 And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a righteous and godly man, who has a good testimony among all the nation of the Jews, was instructed by a holy angel to bring you into his house and hear words from you. 23 So he called them in and sheltered them. The next day Peter set out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him.”
