Cornelius
Cornelius was an officer in the Roman army. Both Gentile and bad guy. He
ate the wrong food, hung with the wrong crowd, and swore allegiance to
Caesar. He didn’t quote the Torah or descend from Abraham. Uncircumcised,
unkosher, unclean. Look at him.
Yet look at him again. Closely. He helped needy people and sympathized
with Jewish ethics. He was kind and devout. “One who feared God with all
his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God
always” (Acts 10:2 NKJV). Cornelius was even on a first-name basis with an
angel. The angel told him to get in touch with Peter, who was staying at a
friend’s house thirty miles away in the seaside town of Joppa. Cornelius
sent three men to find him.
Peter, meanwhile, was doing his best to pray with a growling stomach. He
saw a vision of a sheet that contained enough unkosher food to uncurl the
payos of any Hasidic Jew. Peter absolutely and resolutely refused. “Not
so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean” (v. 14 NKJV).
But God wasn’t kidding about this. He three-peated the vision, leaving
poor Peter in a quandary. Peter was pondering the pigs in the blanket when
he heard a knock at the door. At the sound of the knock, he heard the call
of God’s Spirit in his heart. “Behold, three men are seeking you. Arise
therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent
them” (vv. 19–20 NKJV).
“Doubting nothing” can also be translated “make no distinction” or
“indulge in no prejudice” or “discard all partiality.” This was a huge
moment for Peter.
Much to his credit, Peter invited the messengers to spend the night
and headed out the next morning to meet Cornelius. When Peter arrived, he
confessed how difficult this decision had been. “You know that we Jews are
not allowed to have anything to do with other people. But God has shown me
that he doesn’t think anyone is unclean or unfit” (v. 28 CEV). Peter told
Cornelius about Jesus and the gospel, and before Peter could issue an
invitation, the presence of the Spirit was among them, and they were
replicating Pentecost—speaking in tongues and glorifying God.
And us? We are still pondering verse 28: “God has shown me that he doesn’t
think anyone is unclean or unfit.”
In our lifetimes you and I are going to come across some discarded people.
Tossed out. Sometimes tossed out by a church. And we get to choose.
Neglect or rescue? Label them or love them? We know Jesus’ choice. Just
look at what he did with us.
Cornelius was an officer in the Roman army. Both Gentile and bad guy. He
ate the wrong food, hung with the wrong crowd, and swore allegiance to
Caesar. He didn’t quote the Torah or descend from Abraham. Uncircumcised,
unkosher, unclean. Look at him.
Yet look at him again. Closely. He helped needy people and sympathized
with Jewish ethics. He was kind and devout. “One who feared God with all
his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God
always” (Acts 10:2 NKJV). Cornelius was even on a first-name basis with an
angel. The angel told him to get in touch with Peter, who was staying at a
friend’s house thirty miles away in the seaside town of Joppa. Cornelius
sent three men to find him.
Peter, meanwhile, was doing his best to pray with a growling stomach. He
saw a vision of a sheet that contained enough unkosher food to uncurl the
payos of any Hasidic Jew. Peter absolutely and resolutely refused. “Not
so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean” (v. 14 NKJV).
But God wasn’t kidding about this. He three-peated the vision, leaving
poor Peter in a quandary. Peter was pondering the pigs in the blanket when
he heard a knock at the door. At the sound of the knock, he heard the call
of God’s Spirit in his heart. “Behold, three men are seeking you. Arise
therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent
them” (vv. 19–20 NKJV).
“Doubting nothing” can also be translated “make no distinction” or
“indulge in no prejudice” or “discard all partiality.” This was a huge
moment for Peter.
Much to his credit, Peter invited the messengers to spend the night
and headed out the next morning to meet Cornelius. When Peter arrived, he
confessed how difficult this decision had been. “You know that we Jews are
not allowed to have anything to do with other people. But God has shown me
that he doesn’t think anyone is unclean or unfit” (v. 28 CEV). Peter told
Cornelius about Jesus and the gospel, and before Peter could issue an
invitation, the presence of the Spirit was among them, and they were
replicating Pentecost—speaking in tongues and glorifying God.
And us? We are still pondering verse 28: “God has shown me that he doesn’t
think anyone is unclean or unfit.”
In our lifetimes you and I are going to come across some discarded people.
Tossed out. Sometimes tossed out by a church. And we get to choose.
Neglect or rescue? Label them or love them? We know Jesus’ choice. Just
look at what he did with us.
1 comment:
Thanks for sharing! Sadly, it is much easier to understand how big that step was for Peter after being in Romania. Praying God will speak through you as He spoke through Peter to bring the outcast into the loving redemption of Christ!
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