Sixth Sunday of Easter, Otto, 2009
Acts 10:1-48
Psalm 98, the Psalm for the day, commands us, “Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things!” We use that psalm at Christmas on which the carol, Joy to the World, is based. But why on this day in the middle of May do we sing a new song? We agree that the marvelous thing the Lord has done is to accomplish our salvation through his right hand and his holy arm. Furthermore, the right hand of the Lord and his holy arm are none other than Jesus Christ whose hands and holy arms were stretched out on the cross for us and for our salvation. That, in itself, calls us and all the earth to “break forth in joyous song.”
Here is what makes this day in the middle of May special. If you are a Gentile, that is, a person who comes from a non Jewish background, this is the day, according to our first lesson from the Book of Acts, that “The Lord has made known his salvation” to you “in the sight of the nations.”
Imagine yourself back in the first century in the eastern Mediterranean seaside city of Caesarea. Rebuilt less than a hundred years before, with a newly constructed port, Caesarea was center of commerce, communication and served as the capital of Palestine, including Judah and Jerusalem, 50 miles southeast.
A Roman military officer named Cornelius, commander of 100 archers of the Italian Cohort, was stationed at Caesarea. Cornelius was attracted to the life of the Jewish people. He himself, and his whole household and family, were devout, gave to the charitable needs of the people and participated in the Jewish hours of prayer. He found among his neighbors and fellow citizens what our neighbors should find in us, people who set an example to be followed.
Three o’clock one afternoon, while he was at prayer, God surprised him. An angel appeared in a vision. “Cornelius,” the messenger said. Terror struck, Cornelius stared at the vision, “What is it Lord?” The angel said, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.” God had been at work in him and had taken notice of his worship and life. The angel directed Cornelius to send a delegation down to Joppa, 30 miles down the coast. There, they would meet someone named Peter who was staying with a man who tanned hides for a living. Cornelius, who knew how to give orders, knew how to follow orders. He sent two servants and a devout soldier to Joppa, even though he didn’t quite know what this was all about.
The next day, as the delegation approached Joppa, Peter was praying, at noon, on the rooftop of the tanner’s house. Peter was hungry and while waiting for dinner he had a vision of a large sheet, filled with all kinds of animals that the Jews regarded as unfit to eat, since at least the time of Moses. A voice directed Peter to kill and eat. Peter protested, “No, no, I’ve never eaten such things.” However, what Peter hadn’t quite understood yet, was that in Jesus’ death and resurrection God had made all things clean. The voice spoke again, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”
While Peter was pondering God’s reversal of a policy that had been in place for well over a thousand years, Cornelius’ representatives arrived at the house. As if he didn’t have enough on his plate already, now the Holy Spirit told Peter to go with the men from Caesarea, without any hesitation, “For I have sent them.”
The emissaries from Cornelius told Peter what they knew; Peter welcomed them to stay overnight. The next morning they all set out for Caesarea, including some of the brothers in Christ from Joppa. Everyone knew something was afoot with God and the Gentile military office, but what could it be?
Meanwhile, back in Caesarea, Cornelius gathered a group of relatives and friends and waited for those coming up from Joppa. Upon arrival, Peter, after fending off Cornelius’ attempt to fall down and worship him, informs the group that it’s been unlawful for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. Peter continued, “But God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. So, tell me, why have you sent for me?” Peter seemed to be feeling out the situation. Cornelius was in the dark too; except that here in the presence of God, he was to listen to what the Lord has commanded Peter to say.
Aha, now Peter knew why he was there in a Gentiles’ house. God had chosen to begin his mission to people who were not Jews with Cornelius. God had chosen Peter for that task. “So Peter opened his mouth and said, truly I understand that God shows no partiality.” Peter continued to recall for his audience what they already knew concerning the word that God had sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ who is Lord of all.” Then beginning with Jesus’ baptism and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon him giving him power to do good and heal those oppressed by the devil, Peter told of Jesus death on the tree of the cross. He told how God had raised Jesus on the third day. Peter shared that God had chosen certain people to be witnesses; individuals who had ate and drank with Jesus after he rose from the dead. These he had commanded to preach and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to judge the living and the dead. Whoever believes in him receives the forgiveness of sins through his name.
Now all of those Jewish converts to Christ were amazed as the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. Now Gentiles, you and I, stand before God on same footing as the first believers in Jesus among his fellow Jews. Peter concluded, “Well we can’t withhold baptism from these people, even if they are Gentiles.”
Now not everyone was copacetic with letting these sorts of people into the fellowship of Christ. After several days, Peter and the others went back to Jerusalem where they reported everything that had happened along the seacoast in Joppa and Caesarea. And when the apostles and the brothers heard Peters report, “They fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, ‘then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
What’s so important about this day in the middle of May? I refer you to Ben Weibrecht’s confirmation verse that we read earlier in the gospel lesson. Jesus says to Ben and to each of us, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.” When God chose to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with a Gentile named Cornelius in the seaside city of Caesarea that opened the way for the church to preach the good news of Jesus saving death and resurrection to all people, even to you and me. And if we are puzzled what sort of fruit we are to bear for Christ, then we only need to look to our Gentile forbearer in the faith. Look to Cornelius, who was a devout man, who feared God, gave generously to the needs of others and prayed continually to God. May our worship and life in Christ ascend to such heights that God cannot help but take notice of them in order that all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Ben, it doesn’t get any better than that.
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