Military Officer Deploys Men To “Find The Fisherman!”
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In one of the most bizarre stories ever told in the annals of military history, a historian writes about a military officer, of a foreign occupation army, who deployed some of his men on an unusual mission: “Find the fisherman and bring him to me!” His only explanation: “I received these orders from an angel.”
If you find that bizarre, wait until you hear the fisherman’s side of the story.
“One day while I was waiting for lunch, my consciousness was suddenly heightened, and I had a weird dream about eating things my religion says that I shouldn’t even touch. Then I heard a voice telling me that three men were going to be looking for me. And, guess what? Just a few seconds later, someone tells me that men were at the door. I ended up going with them to a military officer’s home where there were a lot of people waiting to see me. When I entered the house – you won’t believe this – the military officer kneels at my feet like he’s worshipping me!”
A True Account With A Greater Story
The bizarre aside, this is a true account. But, it makes no sense unless the greater story is known. What is wild is that this historical event proved to be a key turning point in Christianity becoming an international faith.
The main players
Luke was the historian, Peter was the fisherman and Cornelius was the Roman military officer. The following is a thumbnail sketch of each:
Luke researched and wrote detailed and historical accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry for a man named Theophilus, probably a Roman official or at least a person of high position and wealth. This particular story is found in chapter 10 of his second volume that is now called the Book of Acts (the first volume was the Gospel of Luke).
Peter was a well-known disciple of Jesus. He was part of Jesus’ inner circle, who experienced terrible shame because of his denial and desertion of Jesus. But, amazingly, he moved on to become a high profile teacher and leader of the Christian faith.
Cornelius was a centurion in the Italian Regiment, meaning that he had charge of 100 soldiers. Centurions were carefully selected, as they had to be men of noble character. Cornelius was a generous man who gave to the poor, and a religious man who prayed often to God.
The big drama
There are at least four big dramas in this story. The first is that people who are open to God get his attention. Second, God plays no favorites among races. Next, God expects us to get rid of our cultural taboos and visit and relax with people who are different from us. Lastly, Jesus brings all people together who have faith in him.
You may be thinking, “Why call these dramas? That’s like common knowledge, isn’t it?” Right, as it should be. But, for Peter, Cornelius, along with most Christians and non-Christians of those days, it was big time drama!1 Here’s why:
People who are open to God get his attention. Jewish people thought that because God had revealed truth about himself only to Jewish prophets, that it was only in the Jewish religious system, especially the synagogues, that truth about God could and should be known. Non-Jewish people who wanted to believe on the true God had to become part of the Jewish system. So, to think that God had spoken directly to Cornelius, a Gentile, apart from any connection to a Jewish institution or person was simply unimaginable!
God plays no favorites among races. Why wouldn’t Jewish people think that they were God’s favorites? All the big guns of the faith came from them: Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, Jacob, then, most importantly, Jesus and the Apostles. The only “Hall of Fame of True Religion” in the world resided in Israel. It is no wonder that a spirit of elitism settled in Jewish psyche. Cornelius shattered that spirit. Not only was he a Gentile, he was a Roman military officer in the occupying forces that had made life miserable for God’s special people. There was no shortage of negative emotions towards Roman soldiers. But, God had spoken to Cornelius through an angel. Didn’t angels only speak to God’s people?
God expects us to get rid of our cultural taboos and visit and relax with people who are different from us. An unauthorized fusion had developed between God’s prohibitions in Jewish dietary laws and Jewish attitude towards non-Jews. The syllogism that led to this fusion went something like this:
God said not to eat certain kinds of animals because they are unclean
Gentiles eat unclean animals
Gentiles are unclean
Jews will not touch anything unclean, to include anything a Gentile touches
Peter had “a lot of splaining to do” when severely criticized by Jewish Christians for going to Cornelius’ house and eating his food!2
Jesus brings all people together who have faith in him. Serious thinkers throughout the ages have sought a central idea to unite people widely divergent in race, culture and history. If an idea wasn’t sufficient, then force – brutal, at times – was used. Some argue that the American ideal (democracy, freedom, equality) is the best for which humankind can hope.
Always counterintuitive to our way of thinking, God’s idea is for people to be united in a Person. How novel is that?
Jesus qualifies to be The Person because he is the God Connection, the Creator, Savior, Life Sustainer and Judge for each person in history. Jesus is also the People Connection because his Spirit lives in each person who believes in him.
That’s the genius of God’s idea: In Jesus, people are connected spiritually. Jesus is their God and Savior, the One mutually loved and embraced as Lord. Such connection is unrivaled, vastly superior to any scheme on earth. If Peter thought he had a good handle on all that Jesus was, he was shocked into yet one more aspect he never knew before: being connected spiritually with a Gentile who had the same Spirit of Jesus.
Why Not Create Your Own Drama?
No angel will speak to you in a dream, you won’t fall into a trance before lunch, and fellow Christians won’t be on your case for having dinner with someone from another culture. But, you can create a drama of God doing the most surprising things in you.
Here is what I suggest as you create. Answer the questions for each drama, blend them together into a plan, and then give a title to your drama.
People who are open to God get his attention. Who do you know that you suspect has a heart open to thoughts about God, who prays, who is good to others?
God plays no favorites among races. Is there a particular race or culture group that you deep down feel superior to?
God expects us to get rid of our cultural taboos and visit and relax with people who are different from us. Who could you go visit, have dinner with, or, a cup of coffee, maybe go to their grocery store?
Jesus brings all people together who have faith in him. What is the name of a Christian that you know – or, don’t know – but, with whom you have never had a spiritual conversation?
Remember: now you need to put your answers together and make a plan.
Got it? Now name it, give your drama a title.
“___________________________________________________________________________________________”
Write out exactly what you plan to do. Make it big enough so that God can make it into a drama of his own!