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. The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 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. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”
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 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 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.’ 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.”
Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism…”
In this binary world of either/or, there are either good guys or bad guys, protagonists or antagonists, nice folk or jerks, Christians or non-Christians, etc.
Because this story is tied to its own cultural context, its punchline may not have the intended effect. Perhaps the story needs to be heard in a contemporary setting…
There was a man named “Dem.” He lived in New York, and was head of a labor union there. Dem did right by the people he represented. He always found ways to help those in need; led his family to worship God; and prayed faithfully every day.
One day, at about 3:00pm, during his time of prayer, he had a vision. An angelic messenger of God, as real as his next-door neighbor, came in and said, “Dem.”
Dem stared hard, wondering if he was seeing things. Then he said, “What do you want?” The angelic messenger said, “Your prayers and good works at your workplace and in your neighborhood have gotten God’s attention. So, here’s what you are to do: Send some people to Washington to get the one everyone calls ‘Pastor Pub.’ He’s staying with Perry the Politician whose house is down by the ocean.”
As soon as the angelic messenger was gone, Dem called two employees and one devout worker from the union. He went over with them in great detail everything he just experienced, and sent them off to Washington.
The next day, as the three travelers were approaching the city, Pastor Pub went out on the patio to pray. It was about noon. He got hungry and started thinking about lunch. While his food was being prepared, Pastor Pub fell into a trance.
He saw the skies open up. Something that looked like a huge blanket lowered by ropes at its four corners settled on the ground. Every kind of person – ethnicity, race, and gender – was on it. Then a voice came: “Go, Pastor Pub – baptize, marry, and bury.”
Pastor Pub exclaimed, “Oh, no, Lord. I’ve never so much as gotten close to non-Christians, let alone baptize, marry, or bury just anyone! It’s not holy!”
The voice came a second time: “If God says it’s okay, it’s okay.”
This happened three times, and then the blanket was pulled back up into the skies.
As Pastor Pub sat there puzzled, trying to figure out what it all meant, the people sent by Dem showed up at Perry’s front door. When the butler answered the door bell, they asked if there was a person known as Pastor Pub there.
Pastor Pub, on the back patio, didn’t hear them. So, the Spirit whispered to him, “Three people are at the door looking for you. Get up and go with them. Don’t ask any questions. I sent them to get you.”
Pastor Pub went to the front door and said, “I think I’m the guy you’re looking for. What in the world is going on?”
They said, “Dem is a God-fearing person, well-known for his just and right ways. Ask any politician in this city! He was commanded by an angelic messenger to get you and bring you to his house, so he could hear what you have to say.” Pastor Pub invited them in and was hospitable.
The next morning he got up and went with them. Some of his friends from Washington went along. Arriving in New York, Dem was expecting them; his close friends and relatives, and some workers, were waiting with him.
The minute Pastor Pub came through the door, Dem was up on his feet greeting him – and then down on his knees thanking him profusely. But Pastor Pub pulled him up saying, “There’s no need for that. I’m just a person no different than you.”
Talking things over, they went into the house, where Dem introduced Pastor Pub to everyone. Pastor Pub addressed them, “I’m sure that this is a highly irregular meeting. After all, Republicans, straight people, and anti-abortionists don’t do this sort of thing – visit and relax with Democrats, LGBTQ+ folk, and abortionists.
But God has shown me that no political party, gender, or issue is better than any other. So, the minute I was sent for, I came, no questions asked. But now I’d like to know why you sent for me.”
Dem said, “A few days ago at about this time, midafternoon, I was home praying. Suddenly there was a man right in front of me, flooding the room with light. He said, ‘Dem, your daily prayers and benevolent work have brought you to God’s attention. I want you to send to Washington to get the one they call Pastor Pub. He’s staying with Perry the Politician down by the ocean.’ So, I did it – I sent for you. And you have been good enough to come. Now we are all here in God’s presence, ready to listen to whatever the Lord put in your heart to tell us.”
At that point, the good news came exploding out of Pastor Pub: “It’s God’s own truth, and nothing could be plainer than this: God has no favorites!”
My friends, it is high time we set aside our sinful prejudice toward others. Far too many of us believe and claim that our positions on issues and ideas about how things ought to go are gospel truth – not to mention our ungodly discrimination against another race, ethnicity, and gender.
If it is judgment you want, then that judgment must begin with your own house, and specifically with you yourself…
Rev. Tim Ehrhardt 