9 but the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘what God
has made clean, do not call common.’ 10 this happened three
times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. 11 and behold, at
that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we
were, sent to me from caesarea. —[acts 11:9-11]
at that very moment
sometimes God moves slowly, and at other times he moves immediately! since it is not for us to know exactly when and how God is at work, our job is to simply believe and be ready to follow. as peter was praying, and experiencing a vision from God, he had no idea that God had already been at work in the life of a roman
centurion, and that this centurion had sent three men who were on their way to meet peter at this very moment.
scripture does not say what peter felt when we found that there were three gentiles at the door asking for him, but we do know that God reassured peter that they had been sent there by Him [acts 10:19].
he was ready.
a trip to caesarea
it should be striking to us that peter was ready to go a day’s journey to another city at a moment’s notice! just as God was at work in peter’s life, he was actively at work in the lives of cornelius the centurion and those around him. the obedience of both men leads to a beautiful moment of realization that God’s grace is for all people
everywhere! here we see an apostle who walked with Jesus, and a gentile soldier now both filled with the Holy Spirit and joined together in the faith. outside of Christ, these two men would have had nothing in common, and peter states this clearly when they meet.
yet God was equally at work in both of their lives. God was building his church, cementing his grace for all people, and highlighting our need to listen to his voice, and be ready to act when he speaks.
~ jason soroski