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God Shows No Partiality
From Acts 10: 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. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. 37That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 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."
Not all people have heard yet, nor have all people come to accept that Jesus is Lord of all. Jesus died for the sins of the world. John 3:16 states that God loved the world. No exceptions. It does not read "For God so loved this one part and corner of the world that He sent His only begotten Son." And it took Peter an encounter with a righteous man, a non-Jew, called Gentiles by the Jews, to drive home this point. The chapter of Acts 10 tells the story of a vision that Peter had to have from God to allow him to understand that God is the God of all people and no one group can call another group as less than worthy of God.
This passage begins after Peter met Cornelius, a centurion, meaning a powerful commander of Roman soldiers, 100 to be exact who loved and worshiped God in his home. He loved God so much that he encouraged all in his home to come to faith and lived a generous, giving life. He prayed to God all the time and it was during a prayer time that God told him to send for Peter. God giving a command to a man who knows command and follows and respects command was simple. God said, "Do this," and Cornelius said, "Yes, Sir!" It was Peter who needed the work on commands, especially new commands. Peter knew the commandments and the teachings of his faith which included a provision for him not to eat with those who were considered unclean because of their non-Jewish birth (Gentiles). Long story short: Peter has a vision and understands that God has the last word on what is clean and unclean, and goes to see Cornelius. They have supper and Peter is asked to preach to these believers.
Here is where our passage starts. Peter says, "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and know what is right is acceptable to Him. You know the message He sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ - He is Lord of all." I just got back from some time with our board of ordained ministry and I sat in with the Theology group, that reviewed written work by candidates for ordained ministry. One of the questions asks, "What does it mean to say that Jesus is Lord?" Another more difficult one is "What does it mean that Jesus is Lord in a multi pluralistic society?" Boy, would that question make us all sweat. But here is one biblical reference to that answer; God sent Jesus to preach peace and in that message and the delivery of that message, we have come to know that Jesus is Lord of all. No exceptions. I have shared the story before because it is worth repeating of a newspaper article that told of the retirement of two men who worked side by side as civilians in one of the San Antonio air bases. For over thirty years they worked side by side and it was not until the day of their retirement that they discovered they were both Christians, and they were both United Methodists. One was Hispanic and the other was Anglo. It took 30 years to finally discover what should have been a basic truth about who they were. In a way that has been our fault. We have chosen to attend churches for the most part, that are just like us. We were the ones who made sociologists declare during the 50s and 60s that eleven o'clock Sunday morning was the most segregated hour in America. And it was. It no longer is nor should it ever have been. The message of what God did and is doing through Jesus Christ, is one that should be freely and openly shared among all who believe with those who have not yet come to belief.
A reflection by retired bishop, William H. Willimon, states that of all the things expected of United Methodist pastors for their ordination mentions neither "witness" nor "testimony," as being essential for their work as pastors. This passage does. Look at verse 42: "He commanded us to preach to all people and to testify that He is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. V. 43 All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name." When was the last time we stopped to tell someone, "Come and see" as Jesus is asked what He's up to in our lives and in our churches.
Jesus is Lord of all. It is a message we must share with the world as the personal conviction that we hold as essential and sacred for us and because of the love we have we share it. People from other faiths if asked, will not hesitate to share what they believe. It is the Christians that will hem and haw and not know what to say. We can begin by believing and by sharing and giving witness to, Jesus is Lord.
PRAYER: God of all people, help me in my faith walk to be a person who knows and give witness to the faith that has allowed me to say, "Jesus is Lord." Help my life to reflect that Jesus is Lord of all.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
