Acts 10 “Unthinkable!” (or “Food On A Stick”)

Ruins of Caesarea (Looking north at Herod's Palace)

In this post, I will be including the complete text of Acts 10 in a simple outline I developed for our church. At the end, I will simply list a few lessons which we might learn from amazing narrative. We should all hold this passage (along with the next chapter) dear to our hearts. It was as a result of this incident that the gospel, formerly reserved for the Jewish people alone, was extended to the gentiles. It is this incident that Peter uses as an apologetic for non-Jewish ministry at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. God’s plan was for the gospel to go into all the world but his servants couldn’t see past their own customs and the Lord had to push them a bit…for such a development was culturally unthinkable! Let’s read it again with fresh eyes!

1) A People Prepared for the Message (v. 1-8)

         At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius,

                                            a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, 

                                            a devout man who feared God with all his household,

                                                                           gave alms generously to the people,

                                                                    and prayed continually to God. 

  About the ninth hour of the day     

                              he saw clearly in a vision 

    an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” 

  And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?”

  And he said to him, “Your prayers and

                                    your alms have ascended 

                                                              as a memorial before God.

  And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter.

                                    He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner,

                                                                                    whose house is by the sea.”

  When the angel who spoke to him had departed,

        he called two of his servants

                                    and a devout soldier

                                                      from among those who attended him,

                                    and having related everything to them,

        he sent them     to Joppa.

Let me take a moment to ask if the city of Joppa rings a bell for you? Did anything else in the Bible ever happen there? Ancient Joppa was a town on the Mediterranean coast, the closest port to Jerusalem, is now the modern city Jaffa. Centuries before Christ, the prophet Jonah was told to go north to the Assyrian capital of Nineveh with a warning of God’s judgment. However, he refused to go and set sail from Joppa for Tarshish (in Western Spain) likely the furthest known destination from Nineveh he could have picked.

2) A Messenger Prepared for the People (9-23a)

The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city,

                      Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. [noon]

   And he became hungry and wanted something to eat,

                                           but while they were preparing it,

           he fell into a trance  and saw the heavens opened

                                                       and something like a great sheet descending,

being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 

   In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 

   And there came a voice to him: 

            “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 

                But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; 

   for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 

                    And the voice came to him again a second time,

 “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 

   This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

    Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed      

                              as to what the vision that he had seen might mean,

     behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius,

                          having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate 

                and called out to ask whether Simon

 who was called Peter was lodging there. 

     And while Peter was pondering the vision, 

                                                       the Spirit said to him,

“Behold, three men are looking for you. 

   Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, 

                      for I have sent them.” 

             And Peter went down to the men and said,

“I am the one you are looking for.

What is the reason for your coming?” 

   And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion,

                                           an upright and God-fearing man,

                                           who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation,

                                           was directed by a holy angel to send for you

                                             to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” 

                So he invited them in to be his guests.

God had to prepare the messenger to take his message in this “unthinkable” direction. When we read of these visions with the various unclean animals that Peter was instructed to eat, I don’t think that we Americans, with our fixation on food, quite get how disturbing this was for Peter. Portland, Oregon is well known for its abundance of food carts serving many wonderful things to eat. Well, Beijing China also has lots of food carts, serving all kinds of “food on a stick.” However, the things which they serve are culturally unthinkable for most of us. I am going to provide a few pictures that will hopefully help us to understand how unthinkable this vision was to Peter.

Can you relate to Peter now?

3) God’s Mission Made Visible (v. 23-27)

The next day he rose and went away with them,

                           and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. 

   And on the following day they entered Caesarea.

                           Cornelius was expecting them and

                                            had called together his relatives and close friends. 

   When Peter entered,

                           Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 

       But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” 

    And as he talked with him,

                he went in and found many persons gathered.

God showed his servant Peter and the Gentile “seeker” what to do. As the plan unfolded they even had an opportunity to share their respective visions with each other.

A) Peter’s Proclamation (v.28-29)  

     And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is

                              for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation,

but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 

                              So when I was sent for,

                                             I came without objection.

                                             I ask then why you sent for me.”

What He had learned (28): “God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.”

What he had done (29): “So when I was sent for, I came without objection.” He came without any discrimination or profiling. He didn’t try to hide, run away, or argue. He obeyed God, as opposed to Jonah, the Hebrew prophet, who left Joppa in the opposite direction from that of the mission God was sending him to complete.

What he wanted to know: “I ask then why you sent for me.” A great question to ask and have answered before one starts sharing what you think they want to hear.

B) Cornelius’ Proclamation (30-33)

Cornelius promptly filled Peter in on what he had heard from the angel that started this unthinkable chain of events four days earlier. He shared…

What he had seen (30): And Cornelius said,  “Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour,  and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing.” 

What he had learned (31):   ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and

your alms have been remembered

before God. 

What he had been told to do (32) Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ 

His readiness to hear (33) So I sent for you at once,

                                                                   and you have been kind enough to come.

                          Now, therefore, we are all here in the presence of God

                                                  to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

I wonder… how often do we share our God-dreams with each other? You know, the things he has told us to do that are so far outside our comfort zone that we don’t even want to talk about it? We can be hesitant to tell others because then we might actually have to do what God told us, or we might be afraid that they will think we are crazy.

4) Gospel Message was Delivered at the Right Moment (v.34-43)

   So Peter opened his mouth and said:

“Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 

   but in every nation

                anyone who fears him

                and does what is right is acceptable to him. 

  As for the word that he sent to Israel, 

preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 

   you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea,

beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 

   how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth 

                          with the Holy Spirit and with power.

                                        He went about doing good and

                                                                 healing all who were oppressed by the devil,

      for God was with him. 

   And we are witnesses of all that he did

                                                both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. 

They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 

     but God raised him on the third day

             and made him to appear, 

                           not to all the people

                           but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses,

                                            who ate and drank with him

      after he rose from the dead. 

   And he commanded us to preach to the people

                                   and to testify that he is the one appointed by God

                                                                        to be judge of the living

                                                                                        and the dead. 

                        To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone

    who believes in him             receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

5) The Message is Confirmed by the Holy Spirit (v.44-48) [Gentile Pentecost]

   While Peter was still saying these things, 

                                      the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 

   And the believers from among the circumcised

                                who had come with Peter were amazed,

        because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 

             For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God.

    Then Peter declared,  

    “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people,

who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 

   And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

    Then they asked him to remain for some days.

Seven Simple Yet Encouraging Lessons…

• Prayer to God and service to others is remembered (v. 4)
• God prepares us in anticipation of our next assignment (But we might not understand it at first.)
• God will surprise us when we listen to him (v. 44)
• God’s plan advances as he has said (Acts 1:8; Gen. 12:3)
• Our prejudices are not God’s (2 Cor. 5:16; Eph. 2:11-22; Gal. 33:28-29)
• When people gather together to hear the gospel, they do so in the presence of God (v.33)
• God goes to great lengths to bring the Gospel to those who need it.

There is so much more I could have said, but I am leaving the lessons to be found mainly in the reading of the narrative itself! 

By the way, it is important enough to Luke the Spirit-inspired author of Acts that he repeats the whole story in the next chapter! It is so profound that we must need to hear it more than once.

Where there’s Smoke there’s Fire (Psalm 36, Prov. 16:16-19)

This last Sunday was the 15 anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the people of the United States. It is a day when we remember a wicked act by the enemy and many brave and selfless acts by many first responders, military, and ordinary citizens in response. Psalm 36 is an appropriately descriptive text for today.

1) “What’s In Your Heart?” or, “What Speaks to your heart?” (Psalm 36)     

A long-running credit card ad series asked "What's in your wallet?" Our approach to Psalm 36 asks "What's in your heart?" or "What speaks to your heart?" 

Psalm 36 describes the nature of the heart of the wicked. Often commentators summarize this in terms of the wicked person’s behavior which is certainly addressed, but it is deeper than that. This section (v.1-4) describes their heart, their internal life, and what flows out of it.

Transgression speaks to the wicked   
         deep in his heart;
there is no fear of God  before his eyes.
  For he flatters himself in his own eyes
    that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;
         he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
He plots trouble while on his bed;
         he sets himself in a way that is not good;
         he does not reject evil.

When I read this passage I have to ask the question, “What speaks to me deep in my heart?” We will do what we want to do; we will serve what we love. It may be God and the people he created in his image, or we may serve only ourselves. The wicked serve themselves to the harm of others. We should not fall into the error of the wicked and imagine that we will get away with our iniquity. God will hold us accountable for what we have done. It is hard to imagine someone lying in bed at night planning how they might take advantage of others the next day! May we not allow transgression to speak to us deep in our hearts. That place should be reserved for something much better!

In contrast to the wicked, the psalmist allows God’s love to capture his heart in v. 5-9,

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,

    your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
    your judgments are like the great deep;
             man and beast you save, O Lord.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
       in your light do we see light.

He ends this psalm with a heartfelt prayer for God’s love to continue (v.10) and a prayer to be delivered from the actions of the wicked for they will ultimately be “unable to rise.” (v.11-12). So how can we keep the pride of the wicked from our own hearts? Proverbs 6 gives us a plain warning…like that of a smoke detector!

2) A Smoke Detector—The Seven Things God Hates (Proverbs 6:16-19)

We all have otherwise good things that we hate the smell when they burn. Can you think of anything? Here are a few that we listed: Eggs, toast, popcorn, and transmission fluid. One thing that tends to burn in our home is, toasted coconut which we do under the broiler and it can burn very quickly and fill the house with a less-than-sweet aroma. The same can be said about our own sinful attitudes. They stink and those around us notice pretty quickly. What stinks to God? What are the attitudes and actions that he hates in his house? In this passage, he lists seven of them…

"These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him:

1) Haughty Eyes (a proud look),

    2)  A lying tongue,

        3) Hands that shed innocent blood,

            4) A heart that devises wicked plans,

        5) Feet that make haste to run to evil,

    6) A false witness who breathes out lies,

7) One who sows discord (stirs up conflict in the community) among brethren.”

I have numbered and indented these clauses so that you could see the parallelism that is present in this well-crafted list. The seven things really work out to be just four things. Each layer is a type of nested parallelism with #1 and #7 speaking against pride, #2 and #6 against lying, #3 and #5 against violence against the innocent, and #4 a heart that devises wicked plans” stands alone literally, and figuratively, in the center. Does something in our lives smell like smoke? This list makes a pretty good smoke detector. Additionally, 2 Timothy 3:1-5’s “in the last days…” list and Galatians 5:19-21's "works of the flesh..."  list these and other sins, that we should avoid, but it is from the inside out—from the heart to the hands, from the Spirit to the body that we must allow the Lord to change us.

The Apostle Paul writes to the early church in Colossae,

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,

 set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 

For you died, and 

      your life is now hidden               with Christ in God.” (Col.3:1-3)

When we set our hearts on things above we give no place for sin to speak to us deep in our hearts.

3) Exit Signs—Is there a Fire in the Theater?

So what should we do if the spiritual smoke detector is going off in our lives? We need to have an exit plan. All public buildings are required to have exit signs in case of fire. Most hotel rooms have a fire exit map on the back of the door to each room showing the best exit routes in case of fire or other emergencies. God does no less for us in his Word! I always look at the map when checking into a hotel room so that I might be prepared should I need to use the exit routes on a dark smoky night. Here are some of the routes that God has marked out for us that correspond to the things God hates from Proverbs 6 above.

• Smelling Pride? Then “Humble yourself” (James 4:10) Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” And  Philippians 2:3-4, ^"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
• Is the air clouded with lies? Then “Speak the Truth in Love” (Eph. 4:15, 25-32) “Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ … Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” 
• Have you been taking advantage of others? Become a model of good works (Titus 2:6-8) “Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” Also, Titus 3:4 “And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.”
• Are you insensitive to God’s Law of Love? Get A Heart Transplant (Exodus 36:26-27) “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” Also, Romans 10:1 “Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.”

4) Putting out the Fire—Overcoming in the Spirit  

A) The Seven Deadly Sins

While the first step is getting out when we smell smoke, what about putting the fire out? Certainly, our deliverance from the power of sin was obtained in the life and death of Jesus Christ on our behalf. However, the temptation to sin still exists for us on this side of the cross. The phrase “seven deadly sins” comes from a list compiled about 600 a.d. by Gregory I. While this list doesn’t appear in the Bible in this form, it is a pretty good summary of biblical teaching. The standard list consists of… 

1. Envy = the desire to have an item or experience that someone else possesses. In fact, their having it makes us sad (Prov. 24:1, 19-20; Psalm 37:1-2; 73:1-3).
2. Gluttony = excessive ongoing consumption of food or drink, wasting food, consumption that keeps others from having enough.
3. Greed or Avarice = an excessive pursuit of material possessions, which is based on our belief that we deserve whatever we can get.
4. Lust = an uncontrollable passion or longing, especially for sexual desires, it sees others as objects for our pleasure rather than people whom God loves.
5. Pride (hubris) = excessive view of one's self without regard for others.
6. Sloth = excessive laziness or the failure to act and utilize one’s talents
7. Wrath = uncontrollable feelings of anger and hate towards another person

B) The Seven Spirit-Empowered Virtues

The seven virtues were originally defined in the poem, Psychomachia, [lit. the spiritual battle] by Aurelius Prudentius Clemens, a Christian poet, and Roman governor who died sometime around 410 a.d. In his poem, the seven virtues are attacked by the seven sins that, in turn, are defeated. In humorous response to those who are bothered by a poem with a bunch of women fighting, it is helpful to understand that “abstract ideas in Greek are linguistically feminine” hence their depiction as women.

Here is a list of the seven virtues and how they cure each of the seven deadly sins:

1. Kindness = Cures envy by placing the desire to help others above the need to supersede them. Kindness rejoices in the blessings others experience.
2. Temperance = Cures gluttony by implanting the desire to be healthy, therefore making one fit to serve others. Again, that is the heart of God.
3. Charity or love = Cures greed by putting the desire to help others above storing up treasure for one’s self, and views others as more significant than self.
4. Chastity or Self-control = Cures lust by controlling passion and leverages that energy for the good of others, seeing them as sons and daughters of God.
5. Humility = Cures pride by removing one's ego and boastfulness, therefore allowing the attitude of service. We have the example of Jesus in Philippians 2.
6. Diligence or Zeal = Cures slothfulness by placing the best interest of others above the life of ease and relaxation. It recognizes that we are to steward our time for the mission of God.
7. Patience = Cures wrath by taking time to understand the needs and desires of others before acting or speaking. It remembers how patient the Lord has been with us!

However, we need to remember that these virtues don’t spring from our own goodness, but from our yielding in love to the presence of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. So when your smell the smoke of sin rising in your life, confess it to the Lord, ask for forgiveness, and then ask how to apply the appropriate Spirit-empowered virtue at the heart of the matter!

Rest for the Laborer

This first weekend in September, America celebrates Labor Day. It's a long holiday weekend, established to honor working men and women, to reward those who labor long and hard. It's a last summer fling before the kids go back to school and before we dig into the challenges of the Autumn. Yet, for many, an extra day off doesn't provide real relief or rest from the weight and stress of their labors. How can our work be a joy rather than a burden, a blessing rather than a curse, a holy calling rather than a salaried cell?

These simple suggestions can help us to stay joyful and productive at whatever task God puts before us.

1) We Should See That Our Labor Is Purposeful.

I remember running into a college classmate at a reunion and asked him what he was doing for a living. After a little hesitation, he said that he was in quality control for a commercial air-conditioning manufacturer. I thought, "How did he get into that? Who thinks up jobs like that?" But then I wondered what hot days would be like if nobody did that job. Chances are, we would be a lot less comfortable in our labors. Remember our labor is purposeful. With that in mind, here are ways in which our work is purposeful.

• Work Is a Calling Not A Curse, though it was made harder because of the curse. (Genesis 2:15, 19) Work pre-dated the fall of man. It was present in the Garden of Eden. Mankind was given the responsibility of caring for the creation, naming the animals, and tilling the garden. His work was purposeful.] Then, after sin entered the world, that work became “toil” (Genesis 3).

• God Has Set Us Right Where We Are (1 Corinthians 12:18). “But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.” We shouldn’t grow discontent desiring someone else’s role in the church or job at work. God knows what he is doing and wants to work on us and through us to bless those around us.

• Every Part Needs To Do Its Share So That The Body Can Grow (Ephesians 4:15-16). The church is a community of those who serve each other and seek the good of the neighborhood. The church needs all its parts building each other up in love in order to grow up into Christ. As it is written, "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

Life takes Work

• Wait On the Lord And Work In The Strength He Provides (Isaiah 40:29-31).

He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.

• Help Others With Their Labors. While God’s plan is for everyone to bear their own load, meaning we should not expect others to do our work for us, we are to be concerned about others and help them when we can.

“Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2)

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:3-4)

• God Has Called Us To Be His Ambassadors To Our Co-Workers. It is amazing to think that Jesus has chosen us to be his ambassadors. Are we agents of reconciliation at work or do we promote office drama? Are we examples of the grace of a hard worker or do we make our co-workers pick up the slack? We are missionaries at work, not so much by our words but for our works.

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, 

not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)

2) Trust God for acknowledgment and appreciation.

We all know how hard it is to maintain our energy and enthusiasm while being chronically unnoticed and under-appreciated. Other people might not notice our labor, but God does. He is aware of everything we do, and our motivation for doing it.

Ultimately He gives us the lasting reward for our labor (Colossians 3:22-24).

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. 

  You are serving the Lord Christ.

If people recognize what we do and express appreciation, then that is just frosting on the cake! Looking only to Christ for affirmation, and the recognition I need, has helped me tremendously. He is the One we serve.

No matter how hard it is now, our reward will far outweigh our suffering (Romans 8:18).

Jesus says to the churches, “I know your works” (Revelation 2-3)

• Ephesus (2:2-3) “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.
• Smyrna (2:9-10) “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer…
• Pergamum (2:13) “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 
• Thyatira (2:19, 23) “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first… And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 
• Sardis (3:1b-3) ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent.
• Philadelphia (3:8)  “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
• Laodicea (3:15)  “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!

3) Make the task set before us a labor of love (1 Corinthians 13:1-7; Ephesians 2:4-10; 6:5-9; Philippians 2:14-15).

It's easy to go to work when we love what we do, but what if we don't? What if we either don’t like what we do our work with unpleasant people? It is at that point, we need to love whom we are doing it for. We can decide to make our work an act of love towards the God who first loved us, towards our family, and towards others that God loves... then it will not seem to be an unbearable weight or an endless hassle

My wife got several pretty rude calls this week on the busy switchboard where she works. The caller rudely demanded that she look several things up for him on the internet. After a while she had to put him on hold to answer other calls and when she came back he complained to her, “I don't know who that lady was but she was not helpful and she put me on hold for 5 minutes!” She patiently said, speaking of herself, “That lady was on a switchboard and had other calls to take. He said “she didn't even let me know what she was doing.” We don’t want to be “that guy!” In moments like that my wife had to remember for whom she is really laboring.

It is my experience as well that when it is a labor of love… we have rest in the labor. In addition, because of Jesus completed work of love on the cross, we have been given rest from our labor for salvation.

Let’s take a minute to read 1 Peter 2:18-25, 

Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect,

            not only to the good and gentle

            but also to the unjust. 

   For    this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God,

             one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 

   For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure?

                  But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure,

            this is a gracious thing       in the sight of God. 

   For to this you have been called, 

                                because Christ also suffered for you,

     leaving you an example,

     so that you might follow in his steps.

   He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.

   When he was reviled, he did not revile in return;

    when he suffered,    he did not threaten, 

                          but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 

        He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,

                              that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. 

   By his wounds you have been healed. 

                        For you were straying like sheep,

                  but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Irenaeus (125-202) taught a theory of recapitulation, where Jesus is seen as positively obeying God in his all stages of life…including his work. Jesus redeems our work in his life as a carpenter/stonemason. The early Church fathers like Gregory of Nazianzus (329-390) “That which is not assumed is not healed.” He obeyed the Father without grumbling and so should we.

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…” (Philippians 2:14-15)

4) Know where the finish line is.

While we have talked about it recently, reminders never hurt. The finish line is not 5:00 p.m., it’s not Friday, nor Labor Day, it’s not the beginning of our vacation, and it’s not retirement. Those times may change our role and our location but we are not released. The finish line is faithfulness to our Lord, day-by-day, unto the end (Revelation 2:10-11; 14:13).

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

Resting In Communion

As we entered into Holy Communion we meditated upon Matthew 11:28-30,

“ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

• “Rest” à we no longer have to labor in an effort to earn our eternal salvation. What a relief!
• “Take my yoke upon you”à yoke often referred to “obedience to the Law” Jesus’ obedience
• “Learn from me”à he has the words of life… walk with him, Invitation to discipleship!
• “Easy & light”àin contrast to the Pharisees who overburdened the people with hopeless requirements Jesus’ way was good! “Easy” usually means “good” or “kind” it represents entering into the disciple-relationship with one who is gentle and lowly in heart. (France, TNTC, 201)

God's promise of rest is still available to us, but will we engage it?

Thus says the Lord:
“Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’ (Jeremiah 6:16-17)

O Lord Jesus, we come to you along the ancient path of Holy Communion, which you established for us so that we might remember your death and resurrection until you come back for us. May we not fail to enter the rest that you provide. Search our hearts even now and lead us in the way everlasting!

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

   For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you,

                 that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,

              and when he had given thanks, he broke it,

and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 

   In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, 

                              “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.

Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 

     For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,

                    you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes…

   So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another—