“Where The Spirit Moves” by the Rev. Dr. Tara W. Bulger
Acts 10:1-35, 44-48
In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian Cohort, as it was called. 2He was a devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God. 3One afternoon at about three o’clock he had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius.” 4He stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” He answered, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5Now send men to Joppa for a certain Simon who is called Peter; 6he is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside.” 7When the angel who spoke to him had left, he called two of his slaves and a devout soldier from the ranks of those who served him, 8and after telling them everything, he sent them to Joppa.
9About noon the next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10He became hungry and wanted something to eat; and while it was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11He saw the heaven opened and something like a large sheet coming down, being lowered to the ground by its four corners. 12In it were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air. 13Then he heard a voice saying, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.” 14But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.” 15The voice said to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” 16This happened three times, and the thing was suddenly taken up to heaven.
17Now while Peter was greatly puzzled about what to make of the vision that he had seen, suddenly the men sent by Cornelius appeared. They were asking for Simon’s house and were standing by the gate. 18They called out to ask whether Simon, who was called Peter, was staying there.
19While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look, three men are searching for you. 20Now get up, go down, and go with them without hesitation; for I have sent them.” 21So Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for your coming?” 22They answered, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” 23So Peter invited them in and gave them lodging. The next day he got up and went with them, and some of the believers from Joppa accompanied him. 24The following day they came to Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25On Peter’s arrival Cornelius met him, and falling at his feet, worshiped him. 26But Peter made him get up, saying, “Stand up; I am only a mortal.” 27And as he talked with him, he went in and found that many had assembled; 28and he said to them, “You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean. 29So when I was sent for, I came without objection. Now may I ask why you sent for me?” 30Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock, I was praying in my house when suddenly a man in dazzling clothes stood before me. 31He said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is called Peter; he is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ 33Therefore I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. So now all of us are here in the presence of God to listen to all that the Lord has commanded you to say.”
34Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 44While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. 45The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, 46for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, 47“Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.
There is no more critical text in forming the new church than this story. The story is often called the conversion of Cornelius, but this is also a story about Peter's conversion.
You can not underestimate how much the disciples of the early church assumed Gentiles would never be a part of the Jesus story. Yes, we have Jesus healing and including Gentiles in the Gospel stories, and the disciples witnessed that firsthand. But the disciples are Jews--Jews who have watched for the messiah and found him in Jesus. The assumption is that people like them will make up the new church.
You also cannot underestimate how much Gentiles are others to these disciples. They are unclean. They have been taught their whole lives not to associate with them. Think of a person who disgusts you--for just being themselves. Think of the person who challenges you with their lifestyle and choices. Think of someone you are sure God disapproves of; this is how the disciples viewed Gentiles.
But a change is coming, and it happens in this story through the movement of the Holy Spirit.
It begins with Cornelius, a righteous Gentile who has followed in the way of the God of Israel even though he is not welcome into that community. His vision leads him to send men to Joppa to look for Peter.
The story continues with Peter's vision. He sees animals of every kind, and no longer are they clean or unclean, but all are to be used for food. No longer are their sacred animals or profane animals, but all are good for eating. This teaching goes against the words of the holy scripture for Peter. He tries to argue the point, but the divine voice tells him that he must not make profane what God has now made clean. Peter wakes bewildered. And when Cornelius' men approach him, the Spirit leads Peter to greet them. More than that, because Peter believes in the Spirit's leading, he invites the men to stay with him. Never, but never, would Peter have allowed this before his vision.
When Cornelius arrives and tells of his vision, Peter begins to understand. Peter says, "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation, anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him." And then the most important and amazing thing happens, the Holy Spirit falls upon them all, and the Gentiles begin to speak in tongues. Any doubts Peter had are now obliterated. Usually, in the early church, the disciples baptize a new convert, and then the Holy Spirit comes upon them. But here, through the sole impetus and work of the Holy Spirit, Gentiles have the Holy Spirit come upon them, and then they are baptized.
And Peter again shocks everyone when he stays with Cornelius for a few days afterward. Not only are Gentiles allowed into the church, but Peter shares an intimacy unheard of by visiting with Cornelius for an extended stay.
This is our resurrected Lord working in the world. And the Holy Spirit does the work of changing hearts and minds. Showing the faithful that the people they once looked down upon, the people that challenge them, the people that they were sure God disapproved of--even they are invited into the church and given a place at the table. But Peter and Cornelius both have roles, too, because they were men who were faithful to God and were bold enough to follow where the Spirit was leading them. That is our charge too. We are to be people who faithfully ask God to show us where we are to grow and where we are to welcome people into the church. We are called to lay aside our biases, maybe even have our view of scripture challenged, all so the Holy Spirit can guide us.
I think about the people of our faith who have had their biases and beliefs challenged and yet were still faithful. One of those was our very own Janel Bates.
Janel was a long-time member of this church and Central Presbyterian before that. Janel grew up in a time when women were not allowed to be ordained, and she told me about her change of heart in that regard.
She told me that many years ago, she went to a General Assembly meeting- a meeting of our national governing board. And she sat in a talk that described the crisis that would soon impact the church in the early 70s--there was a shortage of ministers coming out of seminaries. More churches than ministers was a grave concern. The talk ended with a reading of John 21, where Jesus asks Simon Peter three times if he loves him, and when Peter replies yes each time, Jesus then instructs him to feed my sheep. That phrase, Feed My Sheep, rang through Janel's head as she left that meeting. It wouldn't leave her.
When Janel returned to the central meeting of the GA, the topic was the ordination of women--whether they should be allowed to be ministers or not. And Janel said suddenly it was as clear as day to her--if Jesus' sheep were hungry for the word of God, who was she to put limits on who could bring them that word. She felt the Spirit tell her, "The sheep are hungry. Let them be fed." And she never doubted a woman's right to be ordained again. She took the Holy Spirit's leading seriously, and she was faithful.
The Holy Spirit showed Peter that his idea of what the church could be was far too narrow. Peter was open to the Spirit's leading, and because of that, you and I know of the grace and love of Jesus Christ. May we learn what the Spirit wants for the church and the world around us. And when our biases and feelings rebel, may we--like Peter and like Janel--be faithful still. So be it. Amen.