April 04, 2023 | Be On Mission
Cornelius' Servants Stay with Peter
Scripture: Acts 10:17-23a (NIV)
17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.
19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”
21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”
22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
Devotional
Yesterday we focused on Peter, a very Jewish man who had a vision in which he learned that he shouldn’t call anything impure that God had made clean. Today let’s focus on Cornelius, a very Gentile man who was a Roman officer of one hundred soldiers, stationed in the Roman-sounding port city of Caesarea, just up the coast from Joppa. Peter the Jewish fisherman and Cornelius the Roman centurion had nothing in common.
Just as Peter had received a vision from God, so had Cornelius. This officer was a Roman, but he was also devoted to the Jewish God, with his family, through worship, generosity and prayers. In his vision, the Lord instructed Cornelius to go find Simon Peter. The Roman commander sent three of his men to do this.
In today’s passage, these guys arrived while Peter was still processing the meaning of his vision of animals. God had told Peter to not jump to the conclusion that his categories of ritually worthy and unworthy still apply. As he was pondering all this, in pop three Gentiles telling them of their Gentile leader who wants an audience with Peter. Jesus’ commission to take the gospel to the ends of the earth was about to become very real.
Throughout this study, you have been encouraged to minister to those around whom you live, work, learn and play. Some of them are probably very like you, with a similar heritage, nationality, and interests. Others are probably as different from you as Peter was from Cornelius. What would it take for you to reach across those “difference” barriers to befriend them? How can you intentionally reach out in the name of Christ?
When Jesus died on the cross, He overcame the sins of the world. When He rose from the dead, He destroyed the barrier of death. With both sin and death obliterated, there is no other barrier that keeps us from reaching out to people who are different from us for His sake!
Prayer
God of Grace, we reach out acknowledging You and knowing our prayer of righteousness will be answered. As Peter struggled with understanding his vision from heaven, we struggle listening to You. The noise of the world filters our attempts to understand what You have planned for us. Open our hearts, minds and souls to Your efforts to reach us. Guide us to be the disciples You intended us to be: to know, love and obey Your Son by our thoughts, words and actions. Peter shared Your message of Jesus with Gentiles like Cornelius. May our actions to others express Your love, as we share the message of salvation.
Poem
Standing At The Gate
We your sheep
Full fed upon the hillside
Gather
Standing at the gate
Your rod and staff
Guiding us
To Your fold
Open now the Gate of Heaven
That we may
Enter
As we have lied down
In green pastures
Now lie down
Be our Gate
As we abide
In safety
We the other sheep
Hungering and thirsting for righteousness
Gather
Standing at the gate
Your vision
Calling us
To Your fold
Open now the Gate of Heaven
That we my
Enter
Make us to lie down
In green pastures
As you have laid down
Your life
So that we may, too, abide
In safety
