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Peter had long practiced a religion which required the separation of Jews and Gentiles, and following Christ's ascension Peter continued to be a practicing Jew. Through the example of Christ, Peter began to think differently about those who were considered ritually unclean and unacceptable to God. Earlier in Acts 10, Peter has been staying in Joppa in the home of one who practiced an "unclean" profession, Simon the Tanner.

From there he receives the call from God to travel to Ceasarea to the home of Cornelius the centurion, the "Italian Cohort," to preach to uncircumcised Gentiles which is where we find him in today's text. Peter's focus is shifting beyond Jerusalem. "Go into all the world and make disciples...." Peter and his companions baptize many Gentiles at the home of Cornelius and are persuaded to stay at Caesarea for some days. Peter preaches, "God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him" (Acts 10:34-35).

Many Are baptized ...

A little boy sits in the third row pew with his big sister; his feet won't touch the floor. It is hard sitting still in "big people worship," but his parents think it important today. Sister points to direct his attention. Mommy and Daddy stand in front with the minister as he sprinkles water on Baby Sister's head. Mommy wipes away a tear.

Confirmation day is near, but first Sally and a few others from her Confirmation class kneel before God's altar. The pastor pauses before each one, placing moistened hands on each head and praying the prayer, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen." Sally feels the pastor's hands tremble as he prays.

A man comes to an usher before Sunday worship. Would the pastor be willing to baptize him today? "Come with me," the usher replies. The two arrive at the pastor's study a few minutes before worship is to begin. The pastor has not seen this man before. They chat briefly. The pastor explains baptism. "This church does not regularly baptize adults," the pastor warmly explains, "so this is a very special Sunday for us and for you." In a few minutes, the pastor baptizes the man and at the close of the service the church greets in friendliness the newly baptized fellow. They never hear from him again.

The family is gathered. Grandmother has been a familiar presence at several of the churches in town over the years, and though her parents never walked through the door of a church, including on their wedding day, she always made sure that her children got to Sunday School. Over the years they each have chosen a church, but not Grandmother -- she always felt "kinda funny" that she'd never been baptized. So today she is in her nicest housecoat, her hair has been fixed, and there are fresh sheets on the bed. No one expects that Grandmother is at the end yet, but this latest illness has clearly taken something out of her. So everyone was pleased and a little relieved when she brought up the idea that "Maybe it is time to get the preacher over here to take care of something I probably should have done long ago." And "that woman minister" comes to the house, the one everyone is surprised they like, and baptizes Grandmother in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The baby was born two months premature. He has a serious lung concern. Doctors are not predicting that he will live. "We just don't know," is all they will say. The mother, after a difficult labor, is now up to a ride in a wheelchair and asks to be wheeled to neonatal intensive care. The baby's parents, both clergy, and a family friend, also a minister, slip quietly into the baby area.

They do not believe that the baby's salvation is in danger with or without baptism, but respectfully they ask the nurse for a bowl of water. Then, only able to reach to the baby's foot through an opening in the incubator, they moisten his heel, baptizing in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

At Cornelius' home in Ceasarea, many were baptized. Each Sunday many are baptized.

Jesus At The Jordan

Recently, two girls were seen by their mother "playing Bethlehem" with "Holy Family" stick figures they made in Sunday school, and a toy limousine. "What are you playing?" asks Mother. "Bethlehem," one responds. "This is baby Jesus; these are baby Jesus' mommy and daddy; and (lifting the modern motor vehicle) this is what the star from the east rides in."

Jesus rode no limo when he came to John the Baptist at the Jordan. He traveled from Nazareth to Jericho, probably with his family, a trip of four or five days on foot, to be baptized by John for the forgiveness of sins (a variation of the Jewish purification ritual). By then he had lived thirty years in Nazareth, a village influenced by the Essene sect of Judaism. He learned the trade of his earthly father, held a place of honor and responsibility among his siblings as the firstborn son, and assumed the role of head of the family at Joseph's death, though the biblical record does not indicate when this occurred. Following his temptation in the wilderness, it is likely that Jesus returned to John to assist in John's baptizing and gathering of disciples.

All the while his nation was an occupied state. Rome had installed local leadership which taxed the people heavily and engaged in glorious building projects. Jesus faithfully practiced the religion of his childhood and had seen the Jewish religious leaders try to stay on the right side of Rome while retaining the Temple's ritualistic tradition.

Preaching Peace

Peter claims in Acts 10 that Jesus preached peace. How did Jesus preach peace? Jesus lived in a time of conflict. The rights of people were not respected in any modern sense. (Occasionally in Paul's ministry his Roman citizenship earned him a different kind of treatment, but that was out of respect for the state not the individual.) A person thought to be at cross purposes with the state could be flogged, beaten, imprisoned, or crucified with little proof. It is told that 2,000 were killed in a mass crucifixion on one occasion simply to make a point. Part of the inertia which powered Christ into ministry was the beheading of John the Baptist, and Jesus knew that he, also, would come to a violent earthly end.

So what did he preach? Turn the other cheek, walk the second mile, those who live by the sword will die by the sword, blessed are the peace makers, let the children come.

Consider These Scenes

Jesus was setting out on his journey and a man came running and knelt before him. "Good Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"You know the commandments," Jesus responded. " 'Do not kill; Do not commit adultery; Do not steal; Do not bear false witness; Do not defraud; Honor your father and mother.' "

And the man, still kneeling, said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have kept from my youth."

And Jesus, looking upon him, loved him, saying, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

But the man became sad, for he had great possessions.

Jesus teaches: "Give to the poor," and "How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" (Mark 10:17-23).

Hard it is when we are rich to enter the kingdom of God. Who is rich and who is poor?

Have you ever been rich and felt poor, or made your greatest achievement and not been able to celebrate? Or accomplished exactly what you set out to do and wondered if you had done the right thing?

Lee Atwater planned and executed George Bush's 1988 presidential victory. He grew up with two burning goals which he desired to achieve before age 35: to be Chairman of the Republican National Party and to manage a presidential campaign successfully. He did both.

Life magazine interviewed Mr. Atwater a short time before he died of brain cancer. Professionally he described himself as relentless, ruthless.
After identifying an enemy's weakness, he attacked without mercy, made the enemy look comical -- key strategies to which he was cruelly committed. He used Willie Horton against Dukakis on the crime issue and suggested that Bush's opponent, riding in a tank with that small odd helmet, "looked like a squirrel."

In the Life article, Atwater reminds us what the 1980s were about -- acquiring wealth, prestige, and power.
"I acquired more than most. But you can acquire all you want and still feel empty." Toward the end, Lee Atwater discovered something: "My illness helped me to see that what was missing in society is what was missing in me: a little heart and a lot of Brotherhood." 1

Jesus teaches: "How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem as he entered a village, where he was met by ten lepers standing at a distance. "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us," they cried out. And Jesus called back to them, "Go show yourselves to the priests," and as they went their way they were cleansed.

Then seeing that he was cleansed, one of them, a Samaritan, turned back praising God and falling at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks.

"Where are the nine? Were not ten cleansed?" Jesus asked. "Will no one return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then Jesus said to the Samaritan, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well" (Luke 17:11-19).

Jesus teaches thanksgiving to God, and heals those who are oppressed by the devil.

The Pharisees, seeking to test him, brought a woman to him who had been caught in adultery. "The law of Moses says we should stone such. What do you say about her?" Jesus paused, squatted down, and wrote with his finger in the dust. The agitated Pharisees persisted. Jesus stood up. "Let him who is without sin among you cast the first stone." Jesus bent down once more, drawing in the dust again with his finger. Thump ... thump ... thump -- the sound of heavy rocks falling harmlessly to earth. Leaving their rocks, the Pharisees went their way, beginning with the eldest, until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him on the road in the midst of the discarded rocks (John 8:3-11).

In ancient Israel stoning was the most common of capital punishments. Its most formal application was for the offender to be pushed off a ten-foot scaffold, and if he or she survived the fall, a witness to the crime would throw the first stone, followed by others. As stones are readily available throughout the region, sometimes stoning resembled more of a lynching. In any form, this was punishment up close and personal for the offender and for the ones casting the stones. It did not bring instantaneous death, but was painful, brutal, and required sustained effort. It made an impression on those casting the stones and on the community.

What was in the minds of the Pharisee/executioners as they brought the woman to Jesus? Her crime would be used as a convenience to embarrass the teacher. Was their rage toward her offense fueled by their hatred toward him? As they dropped their stones and went their way, did their anger toward the teacher burn within them all the more?

And what was in the mind of this woman scared out of her wits? Had she resigned herself to her fate? How long did it take before she was calm enough to hear what Jesus was saying to her? As she stepped over the rocks to be on her way, did she sense that her life had been given back to her?

Jesus teaches: "Go and sin no more."

Jesus preaches peace with God to the baptized and to those who would be or could be baptized. He is the one who was twice baptized: once by John in the Jordan and again on Calvary when the ones who would have stoned the adulterous woman got another crack at him. He offers us the Kingdom of God on earth and treasure in heaven. But not all baptized Christians return to give thanks. It is hard to imagine how one could have his life given back to him and behave as if it is no big deal. It is hard to know how one could catch a glimpse of the Kingdom, and sadly be on his way because worldly wealth has become his god. It is hard to be up close and personal with the cross, hearing his groans and not feel the demand his second baptism places upon us. Jesus preaches peace with God to the baptized and to those who would or could be baptized. And we have the opportunity to return to him again and again. Sometimes we live as if we forget what he did and how he gave us back our lives.

But now as we set out to be on our way and step across the stones which could have been heaped on our heads, maybe we will hear the echo of his voice or remember how he stooped to draw in the dust, thinking of how he could advocate for us ... thinking of how to describe for us his love.

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1. Lee Atwater with Todd Brewster, "The Last Campaign," Life magazine, XIV (February 1991), pp. 58-62.