LIFE SCRIPTS

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa. About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?” The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along.
Acts 10:1‭-‬23 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/act.10.1-23.NIV

There’s no coincidence with God. In fact that word could very much be used to describe things that we simply cannot understand being initiated by a God who is all knowing. Cornelius was a devout man. A Roman soldier who believed that there is one God. Roman religion was polytheistic. But Cornelius stood out among his peers by putting his faith in the God of Israel. This gave him favor with the Jews. But he also did good acts of service to people around him. God saw this dedication in him. He saw his heart. Though he still wasn’t a believer, God saw a man thirsty for Him. A man ripe for an encounter with Christ. So he sent him an angel who informed him of Peter’s visit the next day. So Cornelius, being the man thirsty for spiritual things sent men to Joppa where Peter was. But as these men journeyed along, God put Peter into a trance when he was hungry. He saw a sheet from above with all ‘unclean’ creatures spread on it. So ‘filthy’ was the scene that Peter stated that he can’t eat unclean creatures. But God insisted… ‘Do not call unclean what God has called clean’. Three times was this sheet brought to his face before he heard that some men had arrived (same men sent by Cornelius). What a coincidence. Or is it? When God is at work, He transforms all who He uses. At times we might be tempted to think we’re being used to bring good tidings to others who are living away from God. But in His sight, we too are being redeemed from shackles in the process. Peter, the great apostle struggled with legalism. His Jewish upbringing sort of placed people like Cornelius in a certain ‘box’. They didn’t fit among God’s people. To him, they were persona non grata. But to God, Cornelius was His servant. And so was Peter. So He used Peter to introduce him to Christ while using the encounter with Cornelius to challenge Peter’s legalism. Cornelius’ story isn’t ‘out there’. It’s here with us each and every single day when we set aside people we deem as unfit for God’s service. How many times do we pass judgement on those with an ungodly past but who’ve chosen to seek and serve God? God reached out to Cornelius through an angel…a supernatural event. Isn’t that the way God reaches out to those of us who are ignored by the mainstream evangelicals for being too ‘unchristian’? I think of Muslims who thirst for Christ, HINDUS, members of the LGBTQ+, people who’ve lived in sin, those ignored and cast away by ‘believers’. The story of Cornelius tells us of a God who’s concerned with all of us. His desire is we all come to the knowledge of Christ. But also His desire is for those of us who see ourselves as special to remember that we’re not. That we’re where we are because of His grace.