But the story of Peter and Cornelius doesn’t end where I left off last week.

Before long, the Christians back in Jerusalem heard about what Peter had done, and they were not happy. In fact, their criticism sounded exactly like when the Pharisees got mad at Jesus. “The circumcised believers criticized [Peter] and said, ‘You went into the house of the uncircumcised and ate with them’” (Acts 11:2-3). In other words, “You extended friendship to the wrong people, to outsiders.” Back then (and unfortunately now too) Jesus’ followers could switch sides and become like the Pharisees so quickly.

Responding to them, Peter told the story of his spiritual friendship with Cornelius and company, concluding with this powerful statement and question: “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning…. So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” (vv. 15, 17). His statement led to one of the happier endings in the whole Bible: “When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, ‘So, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life’” (v. 18).

Peter learned, the Christians in Jerusalem learned, Cornelius and his entourage learned. Everybody is transformed through the process, not of evangelism, but of relationship. Jesus promised us that he would be with us always – even to the end of the age. But that promise is attached to a command. Do you remember what that command was? It’s called the Great Commission.

Jesus will be with us as we spread the message, as we engage in intelligent evangelism. There are lessons that we can only learn as we, like Peter, leave our comfort zones, as our old categories are stretched beyond the breaking point, as we engage in spiritual friendships with people like Cornelius – God-fearers, searchers, as we become learners as we teach, as we refuse to place ourselves on a higher plane than them and as we show respect towards those to whom we have been sent.

And I wonder if the opposite is true, that if we are not engaged in this kind of relational evangelism, there are things we can never learn as disciples, no matter how many Bible studies we join, classes and courses we complete, sermons we take notes on, verses we memorize, doctrines we affirm. Might this be an essential dimension of our own training as disciples, an experience we need as much as they do?

And further, might it be fair to say that we cannot really call ourselves disciples if we are not following the examples of Peter and Jesus in being “friends with sinners”, spiritual friends who love, accept, learn with and teach those who are missed by God, precious to God?

This entry was posted on Monday, January 30th, 2012 at 10:36 pm and is filed under Engaging Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.