Blinded by our prejudices

It’s very interesting here to see Paul confronted by two groups that were blinded by their prejudices.

The Jews, were so blinded by their prejudices as God’s people that they couldn’t see that God wanted to reach “Gentile sinners” too.

To them, for any Gentiles to be saved, they had to become just like them, and even then, there were limitations in how much they felt these converts were truly accepted by God.

So when Paul even mentioned the fact that God had sent him to reach the Gentiles, they immediately rejected the idea.

The Romans on the other hand had a very low view of the Jews. And they automatically assumed that no Jew could possibly be a Roman citizen.

As a result, they were ready to flog Paul, even though it was illegal to do so to a Roman citizen without a trial. Even when Paul told the Roman commander he was a citizen, the commander found it hard to believe.

But when the commander finally realized the truth, he was alarmed at what he had done (put Paul in chains) and what he had been about to do (flog Paul).

The point is that we can all get in trouble when we get blinded by our prejudices. We can get in trouble with other people, but more importantly, we can get in trouble with God.

God loves all of us, and he sent Jesus not just for the sins of a certain race, but for the sins of all peoples. He came not just for a certain select among the people of the world, but for all.

And when we become Christians, God makes no distinction at all among his children.

As Paul himself would later say,

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)

So let us toss aside our prejudices and see people for who they really are. People created in the image of God, all of whom are loved by him and in need of Christ.