The Time Is Right
Opening Prayer
God, expose my blind spots as I meet You in today’s reading.
Read Acts 10:23b–33
23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
Peter at Cornelius’s House
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”
30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
God loves to surprise us.This was a Kairos moment—a time when God would do something new. With the benefit of history, it is easy for us to trace the unstoppable progression towards the open inclusion of Gentiles in the church. For those gathered that afternoon in Cornelius’s house, the journey had been slow, painstaking and surprising, and would continue to be so after this day. Were they ready? Cornelius had high
expectations of Peter and his visit—too high, as Peter needed to remind him (25). But in one way, Cornelius’s expectations were accurate. God was indeed among them.
Peter’s conversation with Cornelius’s family and friends began with his own acknowledgment of the total turnaround in his understanding of how Jews and Gentiles relate to each other. His very presence in the house was convincing proof of this. Cornelius was then given space to tell his side of the story—he too had a vision which encouraged him to break all the conventions of his day. Ready to hear God speak through Peter, they waited with baited breath for what he would say.
Apply
Remember a time when God has spoken to you clearly—perhaps through Scripture, or a preaching. What did you do?
Closing prayer
Thank You, God, for wanting to speak to me. May I live in utter awareness that You are near.
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