Tanners and Greeks and dead women Oh No!!!

Monday April 26th, Acts 9: 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon. Peter continued his schooling. After raising Tabatha from the dead, he stayed with Simon, a tanner. Tanners, besides turning out leather used extensively in those days, were considered unclean. Before a hide is tanned, it is the skin of a dead animal. Touching the skin of a dead animal made one unclean and therefore unable to participate in worship in the temple. God was working on Peter to help him get over his purity test past, just like last week when God was helping Paul do the same thing. Peter, come touch a dead person, come take the hand of a woman, a woman who is a disciple, then Peter live with a tanner. It is enough to make even a strong man like Peter quiver. It is enough to make the loving God of all smile. We will learn God’s lesson to love one another, the extent to which we resist it often times determines the lesson plan God uses. I read these texts from the Gospels and from Acts and wonder how so many churches can get caught up in the purity test all over again. I think it has more to do with making their religion fit their politics than making their politics fit their religion.