Who’s In The Church?

“Then I remembered what the Lord had said: “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God? When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.” (Acts 11:16-18 )

One of the best things about most Nativity sets is that they include the three wise men. And if it is a really complete set, sheep and camels. I like that the three wise men are included because it tells me that both Jews and others, aka Gentiles, are welcomed to worship Christ. And that others, aka Gentiles, bring special gifts to the worship of Christ.

One of my favorite disciples, Peter, brings this wonderful story to the disciples and believers in Jerusalem. The believers there accuse him saying, “You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said” (verse 3) as if being in close proximity to them and breaking bread with them would contaminate Peter. Maybe they sincerely thought it would. But Peter convinces the Jewish believers that rather than being contaminated, he was enlightened and edified by the encounter.

The God they believed in turned out to be a wider and more encompassing God than they had thought. Jesus might have learned that lesson as a very, very young child – too young to humanly remember. Maybe he saw the fancy boxes up on his mother’s keepsake shelf and asked where they came from. And his mother told him the story of the three strange foreign men who came to see him at his birth, and brought strange but wonderful and valuable things to him. Of course God had always intended to bring all peoples to the God-self, and during Jesus’ ministry on earth he connected with Jews and others. But I rather like the idea that it started early in his life, this acceptance of what strangers can bring.

May we gentle reader remember this lesson when we encounter people who are different from us. And may we welcome them and the gifts they bring as the Christ child and the God-self do. Selah!