Tag Archives: Cornelius

So Peter went down and said, “I’m the man you are looking for. Why have you come?”

They said, “We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout and God-fearing man, well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to summon you to his house so that he can hear your message.” So Peter invited the men to stay for the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.

They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter pulled him up and said, “Stand up! I’m a human being just like you!” So they talked together and went inside, where many others were assembled.

Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean. So I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me.”
Acts 10:21-29

Dear God, I love Peter’s willingness to change his mind here. He has grown so much in his role as a leader. It reminds me of a concept I heard about yesterday for the first time that I hadn’t heard before: “power over” vs. “power with.” Peter was used to a “power over” model (we all are) that authorized the person with power over someone else to use it. All of the way up through Peter’s attack on the servant of the high priest and cutting off his ear in the garden and then denying Jesus, Peter only had a paradigm for exercising power over things.

But Jesus brought a new model: “Power with.” This, as I understand it from listening to the Voxology podcast yesterday is your power exercised in conjunction with and to benefit others. Jesus used the power to heal others, exorcise demons, and forgive sins. He taught a new way of using authority.

Bringing it back to this story, Peter is now a much humbler man even though he has more authority in the church, “The Way,” than he ever has. He is using “power with” to love go with Cornelius’s servants and take your Holy Spirit to them. He is humble. He is learning.

I struggled yesterday with whether or not to write a letter to the editor on a topic that concerned me, but I could not get comfortable with anything I was writing. Then I started to wonder what my motives were. Does the community need to hear my opinion on this issue? Is there a part of me that wants to throw my hat into the ring for my own self-aggrandizement? I still don’t know the answer to these questions, but I did feel like I should abandon it because I was not being called to do it.

Father, thank you for the example of Peter’s character arc. And I know that he isn’t done. He and Paul will have conflict and Paul will call him out for something he disagrees with later. And Peter will admit he’s wrong. So help me today to lead the organization where I work, but to lead with a “power with” and not a “power over.” Help me to lead how Jesus lead. Help me to love how Jesus loved. Teach me like you taught Peter. Use me to bless the world around me with your power so that your kingdom might come and you will might be done on this earth.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen