About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel…saying to him, “Cornelius… Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.” Acts 10:1-8
Is it too far a stretch to imagine earthy fisherman Peter indulging in a bit of levity with Cornelius once they had become friends? Perhaps he joked, “Hey, man, your vision was a piece of cake compared to mine! Your tablecloth sent from heaven delivered angel food while got stuck with deviled ham!” The devout but equally earthy soldier might have shot right back, “Man, what are you talking about? I was absolutely terrified when I saw that angel and thought I would die when I heard him say my name!”
Not only did the heavenly messenger know who this God-hungry seeker was but he also told of his God-honoring ways. We build memorials to honor our soldiers, lest we forget their sacrifice. God honored the “memorial” of the centurion’ prayers and alms by sending Peter to tell him of His Son’s sacrifice as our sin-substitute. The apostle had articulated it superbly at Pentecost but was not yet fully possessed of the mind of Christ to admit an uncircumcised Gentile to the fellowship of the cross. The Holy Spirit “displaced” in both men’s minds all faulty notions of an “unmindful” Sovereign and Savior of the world. Part 2 of 2
Comment: Was I perhaps a bit too hung up on the time factor involving ancient Israel’s prayer hours? No one I know shows up at church at three in the afternoon. However, I find myself going back to reading Acts 9 and 10 and marveling more and more at God’s timing of key events that would shape the early Church. Saul of Tarsus goes from persecutor to preacher of the Gospel and because of death threats, is spirited away back to Tarsus. Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit is moving forward unhindered and churches in the region begin to flourish. Chapter 9 ends on that auspicious note, and then Luke informs us that Peter is starting to make the rounds also, winding up in Joppa and staying at the home of Simon the tanner. There on the housetop at noon, he has his vision of the three flying table cloths. We learn that the perplexed former fisherman is pondering its meaning. In marked contrast, Cornelius of military training, immediately dispatches two servants and a devout soldier to go get Simon, called Peter. These are the three Gentiles standing at the door and are invited in as his guests. The next day they leave for Caesarea, accompanied by “some of the brothers from Joppa “ As soon as Peter steps into his house, the centurion relates to him his angelic vision of “four days ago, about his hour.” Then he falls down at his feet to worship him. “Stand up,” orders Peter, and identifies himself as just a man like him also. I never fail to marvel that Cornelius had assembled all his relatives and close friends. All were filled with the Holy Spirit and were baptized, with those “brothers from Joppa” witnessing that Jew and Gentile had unmistakably equal standing in the Church under the headship of Jesus Christ. I’m more sure than ever of the Holy Spirit’s desire to give us a vision of all our loved ones coming home to our Savior. Acts 10
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