As the apostles endured the Church’s rapid growth spurt … and its first rounds of persecution … they had to stretch in unexpected ways. In chapter 2 they opened their doors to Jewish pilgrims. In chapter 6 they would have to recruit deacons to ensure justice to the Grecian Jews among their following. In chapter 8, the Holy Spirit moved Philip north among the Samaritans … then south to Gaza for the sake of one Ethiopian eunuch on his way back to his queen. Perhaps the most difficult stretch for this primitive church was in chapter 9: the acceptance of Saul -- their erstwhile persecutor. Up until now, we have seen the Holy Spirit push apostles to people on the fringes and extremes of Judaism. We now reach a turning point. The Holy Spirt will begin calling the apostles into the frontiers of world evangelism. And in chapter 10, that frontier is embodied in a prominent sojourner from Rome.
Cornelius is unique for his time and place. Luke introduces us to him with some earthly negatives: “A certain man in Cesarea”, “centurion”, “Italian cohort”, followed by heavenly positives: “God fearing”, “generous”, “prayerful” ... and asks the lovers of God to accept these contradictions in terms at face value.
Cornelius is visited by an angel. This angel did not open with "fear not" like he would when appearing to 1st Century Jews (e.g., Mary, the shepherds ...). This could be for two reasons. First, Cornelius might not have learned that seeing an angel portended certain death. Second, being a commander of infantry, he was not one to falter -- even in the face of certain death. In any case, this messenger of the Lord of Hosts wastes no time with pleasantries. He addresses Cornelius soldier-to-soldier, tells him his prayers and alms-giving were honored by God, and commands him to send his messengers asking for a certain man at a precise address. Having inspired his household to revere the God of Israel, he dispatches two of his servants and his chief soldier there.
Meanwhile, with Peter, the Holy Spirit chooses to not give a direct order. Peter faces political and religious barriers. Politically, Cornelius is a professional soldier in the same infantry that carried out Christ’s execution. There’s no love lost between Peter and any soldier of this occupying army. Second, Peter keeps kosher. That means he adheres to the dietary laws handed down by Moses, and this constrains his interactions with non-Jews. His food choices, down to the very plates he eats from, is an act of worship. This determines to who may eat what with whom. Since the apostles should be holy – and therefore clean – eating with a Gentile, even entering his house, is out of the question. So, Peter would instantly doubt any order to do just that and think the angel was a false spirit. God must first soften Peter's heart ... and therefore deploys a vision.
It’s been a busy week in the ancient port city of Joppa. Having raised Tabitha from the dead, Peter is in demand, and now resides at the home of Simon the Tanner. Evidently, Peter has a routine of extensive morning prayer. The tanner’s house is possibly a building with a courtyard from which steps lead to a flat roof. The roof has some thatch shading, and here is where we find Peter The folks serving him won't start lunch until he asks for it, and he does not ask until famished. So he waits on a rooftop by the sea, tired and hungry, smelling the combination of hides drying in the courtyard, and lunch cooking below.
All of this plays into Peter’s vision. God unfolds a panoply of beasts, none of which are kosher. Three times Peter denies the command “Rise, kill and eat.” Each time, Peter refuses on grounds the offerings were unclean. And the reply each time is “Don’t you call unclean what God declares cleansed.” Given his determination to be a devout Jew, he would have kept refusing all day, but the vision ends abruptly with the panoply being taken up to heaven.
For someone who months earlier, denied his Master thrice, and whose risen Lord thrice challenged him “Peter, do you love me? ... Feed my Sheep,” this vision ending when it did was significant. Imprisonment and persecution aren't nearly as trying as these triplicate dialogues. Peter is on notice that this is no time to gainsay the Lord. Nor is it the place. From this ancient city, the prophet Jonah bought passage across the Great Sea in the Middle of the Earth in hope of ignoring God's call for him to lead the hated Assyrians of Nineveh to repentance. It didn't go well until Jonah changed his course. In the past months Peter set aside cowardice, as an apostle he was feeding the Lord's sheep. But what has God "cleansed" that he is calling "unclean"? What is today's "Nineveh?" How is Peter to change course?
Dear listener, please understand how precarious this moment in the chapter is for most of you. My family is of Semitic origin, so the Good News may have been introduced to me no matter how Peter responds. But, for most of you whose families hail from elsewhere, your eventual access to the Gospel teeters on Peter's next move. If he resolves to never enter a gentile’s house, then the Gospel does not come to your tribe. But, the vision softened the apostle's heart. Peter is ready to obey, and centuries later someone like me takes no shame in fellowship with someone like you.
The Holy Spirit now orders Peter to go down and meet the three men who are knocking at the door and go with them. Peter, not wanting to be found denying his lord ever again, welcomes these two Roman servants and one Roman soldier. He hears their story, invites them to supper, finds them beds (betcha Simon the Tanner is having second thoughts about opening his house), and next day sets out with them to Cesarea. The small retinue journey along the Mediterranean coast northward, the way for them being cleared by a Roman soldier, with two servants flanking this revered apostle.
They arrive the following day to Cesarea -- a city as new as Joppa was ancient ... a bustling monument of Herod's devotion to the Emporer Augustus ... a well-polished colony and capital of Roman power and commerce. Thanks to Phillip's ministry, Jews there were beginning to follow Jesus. Some may be at the gate as Cornelius and family and friends await Peter. Peter enters, and in the shadow of shrines built to Augustus and Roma, Cornelius falls prostrate before him. There is no mistaking this action. At one time or another a Roman officer would have done the same before the statue of the emperor, acknowledging his status as a god. Peter will have none of it. He quickly grabs this mistaken worshiper and pulls him to his feet insisting "I, like you, am also a man." After that exchange, Peter saw that he was to Cesarea as Jonah was to Niniveh. He enters the city, and then Cornelius' house where a crowd has gathered.
In front of everyone, they compare notes, and Cornelius gives Peter the floor saying, "We are present before God, to hear all things that are commanded of you of God." Peter repeats his witness of Christ's death and resurrection and puts his Lord in the grand context "To Him all the prophets give witness, that through His name whoever believes in Him shall receive remission of sins."
It's hard to imagine the torrent of emotions that may have built up while Cornelius' household waited for the messengers to return, then, to be with this apostle -- talking with them as though he were just another man -- confessing that God commanded him to no longer see them as unclean -- and hearing him expound how for the price of belief in the risen Lord their sins would be forgiven. Those emotions let loose. These Italians, betrayed daily by those statues in the shrine overlooking the harbor, readily believed. They cashed in on forgiveness and with their voices returned in praise. For the sake of Peter and the other Jews present, the Holy Spirit rendered those praises in multiple languages ... exactly like what they heard back in Jerusalem at Pentecost. That settled it for him. Peter ordered water brought, and baptized the entire household.
Most shockingly, Peter accepted the invitation to stay in that Roman household for days. This begins a historical pivot. And in the next five chapters we will see the Gospel go forth on waves of Gentile enthusiasm. And the result persists to this very day as you and I fellowship together.