Peter is about to go to the house of a man who believes in the God of Israel but who is a Gentile by birth and who does not live by the law of Moses. Such a thing was unheard-of for a devout and law-abiding Jew of Peter's time, but God has told him to go to the house of Cornelius and Peter is going to obey. This passage is fairly lengthy so we are going to study it in two parts.
"The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along." (Acts 10:23) Peter goes with the men Cornelius sent for him, just as God instructed. Already his obedience is setting an example for other believers. They follow him to Caesarea to the house of this Gentile whom they've never met to see what the Lord is about to do. If a great leader of the church like Peter had not extended the hand of fellowship to the Gentiles, these other believers likely would not have either, but because Peter has a great deal of influence in the church they trust that he is acting upon orders from God.
"The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting him and had called together his relatives and close friends." (Acts 10:24) Cornelius is living by faith. He believes Peter is coming because he the Lord told him to send for Peter. He trusts that the Lord has convinced Peter to come. It seems so simple to just take the Lord at His word and yet sometimes we find it difficult to do, don't we? I think it's because we know we are unworthy of His love and attention, yet we must keep in mind that it is Christ who makes us worthy. For the sake of His Son who thought we were worth dying for, God never turns a deaf ear or a blind eye to our struggles on this earth. For the sake of His Son the Lord has given us permission to come boldly to His throne of grace for help. (Hebrews 4:16)
Cornelius does another thing that is important. He calls together those he loves so they can hear what Peter has to say. When we love others we will naturally want them to hear the gospel. We usually think of our family members and close friends first, desiring for them the salvation and forgiveness and freedom we have found in Christ. Then we begin to think of all the men and women in the world who don't know the Lord, and our heart's desire should be that they too would come to Christ.
"As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. 'Stand up,' he said, 'I am only a man myself.'" (Acts 10:25-26) Cornelius doesn't know what to do, so he gives Peter honor the only way he knows how. He assumes Peter is of very great importance, perhaps even a type of deity, since the Lord mentioned him by name in a vision. But Peter is quick to remind Cornelius that they are equals. They are both merely men. God alone should be worshiped.
"While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. He said to them: 'You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?'" (Acts 10:27-29) As Peter crosses the threshold he crosses a great gulf that has been between the Jews and Gentiles for a very long time. It was common in Peter's day for pious Jews to consider Gentiles unworthy of the mercy of God because of their religious practices and their dietary indiscretions. The people of Israel considered themselves God's chosen people who must remain separate from others, and such practices served a purpose up until the time of Christ in order to keep as much idolatry as possible out of Israel. God has indeed called Israel to be a chosen people, but He has also called the church to be a chosen people. Peter now sees that God intends to make one big family out of the believers of both groups. Christ loved both groups and died for both groups, breaking down the barrier between them.
As he ministers to the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul will later say, "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in His flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit." (Ephesians 2:13-18)
When two people have the same father this makes them part of the same family. In Christ both Jewish and Gentile believers belong to the same Father, making them part of the same family. In Christ both men and women are part of the same family, as are believers of all races, and none of us should look down on anyone else. No matter what a person's background is, no matter their nationality, as believers they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. They have the same Father we have. They have the same salvation we have. They are dearly loved by the Lord, as we are. We are the family of God and should not harbor prejudice against anyone. Christ died for everyone; therefore, if we are in Him, we should love everyone.
No comments:
Post a Comment