Life Examples

A Man Who Bridged the Gap
A fictionalized account of Acts 10:19-11:18

Cornelius was almost in a state of panic. His mind spun, Will the food be acceptable? Will everything be ready on time? Everything must be perfect when our visitors arrive!

The seasoned Roman soldier flurried around his home, anxiously directing servants to tidy up here and there, and scrutinizing his chef's choice of food. He was nervous. He had no idea why God had called this meeting.

Everything was happening so fast! It had been only four days since the Lord had appeared to him in a vision and commanded him to send for a man named Simon Peter. It just doesn't make sense, he thought. This man is a Jew, and Jews simply do not enter the homes of Gentiles like me. Oh, why did I even invite him?

Cornelius was a good man, a righteous man. But he was a Roman, and such people were not easily trusted by the Jews. Nonetheless, God had touched this Gentile's heart, and he had been a faithful follower ever since. Cornelius knew that this meeting would not be relaxing for his guests, but he was determined to obey the call of his God. Comfortable or not, this dinner would happen.

Dinner. The very term brought up a host of other problems. Cornelius knew that the Jews had very strict dietary laws; what if he forgot some important point and insulted his guests? The truth was, though, that by entering the house at all, Peter would be breaking a whole string of Jewish regulations. He probably won't even come through the door, Cornelius feared.

Stop it, he quipped to himself. This isn't some random dinner party. This is a divine appointment. God wants me to speak with this messenger, so I will. If he won't come in, then I'll just move everything outside so that I can sit with him.

Actually, Cornelius was excited about the impending discussion, despite his nerves. He had heard of all the recent goings-on, the talk about this "Jesus" who had stirred Jerusalem into a whirlwind. Something big was happening in the faith, and Cornelius was delighted at the prospect of getting the inside story. God-fearing Gentiles like him were often left in the dark regarding important developments in the Jewish community.

As he forced a facade of comfort and ease for the sake of family and friends, Cornelius heard the sounds of approaching footsteps outside. They're here! The door creaked open and his four familiar servants entered the house, followed by a burly, imposing figure of a man. As soon as Peter stepped into the house, it seemed as though the air was tinged with lightning.

The large, bearded man scanned the room through blazing eyes, which came to rest on his host. Cornelius could not contain himself. He fell at Peter's feet, unable to look him in the eye. "Oh, thank you for coming!" he exclaimed. "Thank you, thank you!"

This act of reverence obviously made Peter uncomfortable. "Stand up," he said. "I am only a man myself." Seeing the crowd of Gentiles that had gathered in the home, Peter confessed his discomfort. "You know it is against our law for me to be here," he explained, "but God has shown me that I am not to call any man unclean or impure. Now, if I may ask, why did you send for me?"

With great excitement, Cornelius revealed his vision from God. "You see, I really had no choice! God told me to seek you out and invite you here. He even told me your name and where I would find you. I was actually hoping you could tell me why He's brought you here!"

Peter didn't have to think about it for very long. His mouth curled into a knowing grin, the kind that comes only when God lights a candle in an otherwise dark mind. He instantly thought of the visions that he himself had had of late—visions of pure and impure food thrown together and the Lord's command to eat. At the time, it seemed just an odd dream about dietary restrictions; now, however, Peter realized that it wasn't simply about food; it was about "pure" and "impure" people.

With this insight, Peter threw off the inhibitions of his cultural distinctions and spoke openly with Cornelius and his family as fellow believers under God. Cornelius' face shone brightly with excitement as Peter revealed the truth of Jesus Christ, God's only Son and Savior of the world.

The world. The whole world, Cornelius thought. Jew and Gentile, man and woman, "clean" and "unclean." What a mighty God this is, not only to save us in the first place, but also to bring peace and connection into our diversity.

Cornelius took a bold step by inviting Peter into his home. He could have faced public disgrace among his fellow Romans, and he could have faced rejection by the pious Jew, but he was faithful to obey God's command. In so doing, Cornelius stood up as one of the first men to bridge the gap between the Jewish Christians and the worldly Gentiles. Speaking as a Gentile myself, I am sure glad he did.

—Allen Harris