The Holy Spirit grows the Church
Acts 10:24-38
25 On Peter’s arrival Cornelius met him,…27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found that many had assembled; 28 and 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. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. Now may I ask why you sent for me?’
30 Cornelius 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. 31 He said, “Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is called Peter; he is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.” 33 Therefore 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.’
34 Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him….42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’
44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. 45 The circumcised [Jewish] believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, 46 for 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?’ 48 So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.
One feels sorry for Peter, the day long journey during which he has wondered what was going to happen. With all that pent-up energy he starts preaching, but before Peter can end the sermon the Holy Spirit upstages him by coming on the congregation of Gentiles. At that point there is no reason to finish the sermon, God showed up big time and who would dare to try to take the attention after God appeared in such dramatic fashion.
In this moment the story of the church changes – people did not need to set aside their culture or their ethnicity in order to become people in whom the Holy Spirit lives. People did not need to adopt the cultural practices of the Jews in order to be baptized. People could be of any tribe, language, ethnicity and become followers of the Jesus way – become people who stated that Jesus was their Lord and Saviour.
People can keep their language and their culture and become members of the church – part of the household of God. The church again and again needs to re-learn this. We say to Christians from other countries: the “proper” worship of God is the way we do it, you need to learn to do it our way. We say to Christians of a different generation than ourselves: the “proper” worship of God is when you worship the way I do it. The “proper” worship of God is worship that glorifies God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and which points us to Jesus.
When people of different ethnicities, of different cultures, of different languages share the common commitment to declare that Jesus is Lord and that God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is to glorified above all other things – this is where there unity is found. All barriers of race, ethnicity, and culture are torn down by this common loyalty. We are made one in Jesus Christ with people who follow Jesus Christ who come from Africa and Asia, from Central and South America and Oceania, from Europe and the Middle East.
PRAYER:
O Lord, we so quickly divide ourselves from other followers of Jesus on the basis of race and ethnicity, seeing them as “other”, as not as good as, as needing our help. Take away our pride in race and ethnicity so that with all those who follow you we may find ourselves made one in Jesus Christ, and in Christ alone. In Jesus’ name. Amen.