Week 19 (4 - 10 May): Breaking Barriers, Extending Grace

On Tuesday, our weekly Love Letters was held onsite at YMCA. We are still reading about the King of Israel but last week, we took a detour to look at prophet Hosea, prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during its final decades of decline.

Hosea had a unique and painful mission. He was commanded by God to marry an unfaithful woman, who symbolised Israel’s spiritual adultery and abandonment of God. But Hosea’s story is also one of God’s divine love, grace and mercy - despite Israel’s unfaithfulness, God’s love remain steadfast, aiming to restore rather than destroy. The gift of forgiveness and restoration is cannot be earned, it is freely given by God because of His love. In response, we ought to have repentant hearts. We were reminded of the grace God has given us.

On Saturday, we read Acts 10-11:17. This chapter marks a major turning point in the early church. For generations, the Israelites saw themselves as God’s chosen people and there were clear boundaries between the Jews and Gentiles. Yet in this passage, God made it clear that the good news of Jesus is for all nations whose hearts are open to God. The gospel is not limited to one group.

Here are some of our observations of this passage:

God searches for those with open hearts

Cornelius’s encounter with God shows that God reveals himself to those whose hearts are open. He desires to draw close not just to his people but to all who are seeking him.

Obedience

Peter’s obedience was crucial. Even though he did not understand the vision, and despite his long-standing with the Jewish law and regulations, he chose to go with Cornelius’ men. It must have felt strange and bizarre for Peter to break cultural rules to mingle with the Gentiles but his obedience allowed him to witness God’s greater plan.

God is patient

God’s patience is beautifully displayed in this passage through the way He prepared Peter for His great plan. Even when Peter resisted God’s instruction in the beginning, God patiently repeated his vision three times. This shows God's gentleness and patience. However, the tenderness of God should not lead us to delay our response to His grace; instead it should draw us into a deeper reliance on Holy Spirit to recognise God’s voice.

The importance of the Holy Spirit

During the discussion, Ps Ben emphasised the importance of Holy Spirit. Peter was guided step by step by the Holy Spirit. Without the prompting of the Holy Spirit, Peter might have remained in hesitation. Later, Peter preached boldly in the house of Gentiles. Ps Ben shared that for every message that he shares, he depends heavily on the prompting of Holy Spirit, without which it can feel empty and powerless, even if he was is well-prepared.

As this passage breaks the historic division between Jews and Gentiles with God’s clear plan of salvation to everyone, the question remains: are we ready to participate in His Kingdom mission to bring the good news of Jesus to people around us?

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