So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way? (Acts 11:17)

In this chapter of Acts, Peter is returning to Jerusalem after the Holy Spirit has directed him to visit a group of Gentiles.  Peter is confronted by a group of Jewish Christians who are challenging his decision to spend time with these Gentile Christians.  There’s a big cultural divide between the two groups, and the Jewish group believes it’s more prudent for Peter to invest his time in their community first.  

It’s a difficult situation, but our contemporary world thinks it knows exactly how to handle it.  

Peter is a big deal in the community. He should throw his weight around.  Who are these people to question Peter’s decision making? Peter should drop the hammer on them. He’s in charge. Respect my authority!

Or Peter could see that these are also important leaders, and his best chance of staying in good graces is to placate them.  Throw the Gentile Christians under the bus. Demean them and dismiss their importance. Show the Jewish Christians that he’s really one of them. One of us! One of us!

Peter could also throw out the old traditions and bring in the new.  It’s my way or the highway. Get on board. Or hit the road.  Peter has new friends; He doesn’t need the old ones.  Don’t let the door smack you on the way out!

There are so many ways for Peter to “win” here! I’m sure you’ve heard, or even used some of those nuggets of conventional wisdom when dealing with people. I certainly have.

But Peter doesn’t look to conventional wisdom. I imagine Peter taking a deep, calming breath before speaking the truth of Jesus. Peter saw that God had sent the Holy Spirit to be on the Gentile Christians, the same gift given to all believers.  Peter’s words remind everyone that Jesus came to save all of us. Everyone is a part of God’s plan.  Peter acted to please God, not the people.  And as a result, the people saw the truth in Peter’s words, and praised God, not Peter.

Conventional wisdom boils down to judging people and assigning worth. If I tried to navigate all the relationships in my life with this wisdom, ultimately every relationship would end up damaged, broken, or dissolved.   

When I take a Jesus-centered approach to people, it builds love, empathy, and understanding.  These building blocks become the foundation of healthy relationships, centered in the belief that Jesus is for all of us, and we’re all part of his plan.

This world makes it easy to assign value, judge, and sort people. Pick a relationship driven by conventional wisdom. Reflecting on what Peter said to the Jewish Christians, is there some Jesus-led wisdom that’s calling you to act differently?