January 11, 2026 Acts 10:34-43 God Shows No Partiality: Our Baptismal Calling

Isn't it something, that on this Baptism of the Lord Sunday, we are given a story about a man named Cornelius?

But you know, God has a funny way of answering prayers.

We pray for unity, and God sends us someone completely unlike us. We pray for growth, and God brings someone

who speaks a different language. We pray for peace, and God shows us that peace begins when we stop seeing

people as 'them' and start seeing them as 'us’.

This reminds me of a story from right here in Winnipeg. Some years ago, I was part of a class with a group of

refugees. One woman from Africa, who had survived eight years in refugee camps and had even lost a child in her

arms during that journey, shared something that shocked me.

She was walking to a bus stop one cold day when she saw an elderly white gentleman slumped over, clutching his

chest. With her limited English, she approached him. 'Okay? I call 911?' He could only nod. She called, and stayed

with him, talking to him, until the ambulance came. As they loaded him in, he gasped, 'Thank you... how can I ever

repay you?' Do you know what she said? 'Don't thank me. Thank the God I believe in. My God put me here today

to meet you and to do this good thing.' I felt like I'd been struck. Would I have said that? Or would I have just felt

good about helping? Her simple act, and her simple theology, showed me what today's scripture is all about.

Peter begins with a confession, a discovery that shattered his world: 'I truly understand that God shows no

partiality.' The Greek word for partiality is προσωπολημψία (prosōpolēmpsía). It means to judge based on outward

appearance—face, race, status, accent, age. Peter, a good Jew, believed God favored his people. His food laws,

his purity codes, his entire culture built walls between 'us' and 'them.' Clean and unclean. Then God gave him a

vision. A sheet came down with all kinds of animals, and a voice said, 'Get up, Peter; kill and eat.' Peter refused!

'By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.' God's response was clear: 'What

God has made clean, you must not call profane.'

This wasn't just about food. It was about people. The very next thing that happens? Messengers from Cornelius, a

Gentile, a Roman soldier—the ultimate 'them'—arrive at Peter's door. And the Spirit tells Peter to go with them.

Peter's whole framework collapsed. He says, 'You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with

or to visit a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean.' This is the foundation.

God shows no partiality.

We live in a world obsessed with categories. Young vs. old. Immigrant vs. native-born. Culture and race. Gender

identity and sexual orientation. We build these categories like walls. Walls in our own country, even in our politics,

where we see people not as neighbors but as enemies. And then we decorate them with Bible verses. We call

them 'biblical standards' or 'traditional values.' But sometimes they're just walls. And the funny thing is, the person

building the wall always says, 'I'm not prejudiced!'

But God declares: I tear down every wall. I show no partiality. Some people might ask, 'Then what is God doing? If

God is all-powerful and shows no partiality, why is the world so full of injustice? Why doesn't God do something?'

Some might even look at their minister and think the same thing: 'What is the minister doing? Not much!' But look

at verse 36. Here is the answer: 'God sent the message of peace through Jesus Christ.' How? By sending Jesus.

And how does that message spread? Look at verse 42: 'He commanded us to preach to the people.' Do you see

the pattern? God chooses people. God works through people. God didn't send an angel to Cornelius. God sent

Peter. God didn't zap the man at the bus stop well. God sent a refugee woman. The wonderful, challenging truth

is this: God wants to work through me. God wants to work through you.

So what does this God-powered life look like? Verses 37-38 describe Jesus's life: 'God anointed Jesus of Nazareth

with the Holy Spirit and with power; he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed.'

Jesus started in Galilee, a small, overlooked place. But the good influence of his life rippled out to all of Judea. That

African woman at the bus stop—her small act of mercy was a ripple. Her words, 'Thank my God,' were a ripple.

That man will never forget it. He will tell others. The paramedics saw it. I'm telling you about it today.

Your small kindness, your decision to welcome someone who looks different, your choice to listen instead of

judge—these are ripples of God's impartial love. But we must be honest. There is also an evil influence. Hate

speech, gossip, cynicism, exclusion—these ripples spread even faster. A bitter word can travel around faster than

a hymn.

So we must ask ourselves: What kind of influence am I? What ripples flow from my life? Are they ripples of God's

boundless grace, or ripples of human partiality? The apostle Paul said, 'I have fought the good fight' (2 Timothy

4:7). It is a fight. A fight to see as God sees. A fight to love as God loves. 'Proclaim the message,' Paul says, 'be

persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable' (2 Timothy 4:2). Whether it's convenient or not, whether

we feel like it or not, we are called to let God's good influence ripple through us.

This brings us to the end of our passage, verses 42-43, and to Jesus's command: 'He commanded us to preach...

and to testify.' This word 'preach' makes some of us uncomfortable. Because we think of street-corner yelling, of

forcing beliefs on others, of 'conversion.'

But look at the content of what Peter is doing! He is not handing out doctrinal statements. He is telling a story. The

story of Jesus—the one anointed by God, who did good, who was killed, and who God raised up. And he concludes:

'Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.' This is not a narrow, aggressive

'convert or else' message. This is Good News. This is an invitation to be made new. The message is this: 'In Christ,

you too are a new creation. You too are offered forgiveness and life. You too can live as God's beloved child.'

This is the message of our own baptism! When Jesus was baptized, a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, the

Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.' (Matthew 3:17). Our baptism is God's declaration over us: 'You are my

beloved child. With you I am well pleased.' Not because of your accomplishments, your purity, your background.

But because of God's grace. And if that is true for us, and God shows no partiality... then it is true for everyone. Our

calling is to proclaim that Good News with our lives. To be living ripples of that impartial, baptizing love.

So what do we do this week?

First, remember your baptism. You are God's beloved child. God shows no partiality in loving you.

Second, ask the better question. Instead of 'God, why aren't you doing something?' ask 'God, what are you wanting

to do through me today?'

Third, cast a stone of grace. Make one conscious choice to see beyond appearances. Smile at someone you

normally wouldn't. Listen to a story different from yours. Your small act is a ripple in God's pond.

And fourth, ask yourself: 'What is one small thing I can personally do, starting today, to help make our church more

diverse and welcoming?'

But this last question—it's not just curiosity. This is obedience. It is us saying: 'God, we believe you show no

partiality. Help us to live out that truth.' There is so much wisdom in this room—a lifetime of experience, deep faith,

patient endurance. Let's not keep this wisdom only for people who look like us. Let's offer it as a gift to everyone

God brings to our doorstep. So let's each ask ourselves—really ask: 'What is one small way I can begin sharing

this wisdom, starting today?' We are baptized people. Beloved. Pleasing to God. And charged with proclaiming

that identity to a world that desperately needs to hear it.