EVERYONE MUST CHANGE

Acts 10:28 – Then he (Peter) said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

Changing is hard for all of us, especially those who hold deep beliefs and customs for a long period of time. This meeting between Simon Peter and Cornelius is classic. Think, for a moment, about these two men. Peter was a fisherman, a tough blue collar type who also was very Jewish. There was no way someone like Peter would tolerate an officer in the Roman army who was occupying his Jewish homeland, much less go to his house. Then there was Cornelius, a Roman officer who would probably prefer to be anywhere else than where he was, dealing with the rebellious Jews in Israel. For Peter and Cornelius to have a world changing meeting couldn’t happen but it did. It took an angelic visitation and a trance accompanied by visions to pull it off but that is exactly what the Lord did. Peter found himself preaching at a Roman soldier’s house and right in the middle of another Pentecostal outpouring with tongues and all that goes along with it. The Roman officer found himself learning from this common Jew and submitting to a fisherman from Galilee; this was the beginning of world harvest. Here is how the Interpreter’s Bible describes this moment:

“The scene Luke paints is remarkable. Although neither a Jew, nor a follower of Christ, but a God-fearer, Cornelius exhibits exemplary piety, his prayers are heard by God, and he is the recipient of an angelic visitation…..Although both a Jew and a follower of Christ—indeed, an apostle—Peter debates with the Lord and struggles to understand what God is doing, before finally recognizing, and proclaiming, that “God shows no partiality,” that Jesus is “Lord of all”. Thus, Luke portrays Peter as undergoing a “conversion” in the sense that he understands more fully and embraces more deeply the faith to which he is committed. Cornelius undergoes a “conversion” in the sense that he moves from his status as a God-fearer to that of a Christ-follower. God works in the lives of Cornelius and his household before Peter arrives and, quite apart from Peter’s initiative, plan, or expectation, the Spirit intrudes into their exchange. Baptism is the church’s recognition of and response to the prior gracious act of God.”

So what about us? Maybe we have been stuck in our own ways allowing old customs and habits to block us from being used by the Lord in this last day harvest. Rather than sitting on the bench, with all the reasons not to go forward , maybe it’s time to join Cornelius and Peter for a brand new change. You never know, history may be unfolding right under your nose.