Acts 10:34-38(NRSV)
“Peter began to speak to Cornelius and his relatives and close friends: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does 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. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 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.”
On this First Sunday of Epiphany we celebrate the Feast of the Lord’s Baptism. This is quiet a remarkable moment in the history of the Church. Our Lord Jesus comes to his cousin John the Baptist to be baptized. John’s reaction is one of extreme humility, up to this point John has been the protagonist, the man to whom the masses came to hear and now here comes his younger cousin not only to be baptized but also to become the center of the Gospel Story. In other words, John took a backseat to his younger cousin. This act of selfless humility of John is indeed essential to the message of the Gospel.
This is what Peter discovers on his encounter with Cornelius and his family and realizes that God is not the God of one particular group of people but rather that He is trying to reach every nation, tribe and language. And that he needed to take the back seat and allow the Gentiles to enter the scene of the Gospel Story.
I believe that as long as we remain divided, in some places because our racial differences, in others because of our tribal differences and even because: ‘That people speak “broken” English.’ As long as this is our attitude, our message will lack credibility and power.
Peter’s message and actions spread like wild fire because of what he was willing to do, go to those of a different ethnic, racial, language and even religious background to tell them about the Risen Christ. What are you willing to do? Are you willing not only to reach accross the aisle but even across the street or the train tracks?
Jesus’ prayer was this:
John 17:23 (New Living Translation)
“23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.”
The world will only believe, when we are willing to humble ourselves, set aside our petty differences for the sake of the greater cause of the proclamation of the Gospel. This proclamation of the Gospel will lead to the following:
Matthew 24:14 (New International Version)
“14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
If we want a quick return of our Lord, we must be willing to be united so the world may believe. What are you willing to do about this?
