Baptism of the Lord 8 January 2024 Acts 10:34-38
[The gospel reading for today is the same as 5 January. This study is based on Acts 10:34-38, but the study for 5 January can be used today also.]
The Greek text of Acts 10:34 reads literally, “God is not a raiser of faces” – prosopolemptes is an odd expression, and occurs only here in the entire New Testament. It refers to the Hebrew custom of a respectful greeting in which one humbly turns one’s face to the ground, or bows to the ground. If the person greeted “raises the face” of the person, it is a sign of recognition and honor. The point here is that God is not a “raiser of faces” in the sense of “raising the face” of the Jews alone. God raises the face of any who come to him in love, respect, and worship.
It was unusual enough for any outsider to respect the Jewish Law of Moses. The few who did were often called “God-fearers,” for they followed the Law in all things, except circumcision and kosher food restrictions. They were permitted at synagogue services, but they had to stand at the back, behind a barrier so that it was clear to all that they were not “real” Jews, but only partly Jewish. It was especially unusual for one of these God-fearers to be a Roman army officer, but that was Cornelius – “He was a devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave alms generously to the people, and prayed constantly to God” (Acts 10:2). It was even more unusual for a Roman army officer God-fearer to be visited by an angel of God, who said to him, “Send for Peter. He is staying nearby” (10:5).
At the same time as all this was going on, Peter was taking a nap, and having a nightmare. He dreamed God was showing him all manner of food it was not permitted (kosher) for Jews to eat, and God was telling him to eat it. “By no means, Lord,” Peter said, “for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean” (10:14). God told him it was not profane or unclean anymore. Eat. The kosher laws, along with circumcision, were the clearest marks of Jewish identity. Jews didn’t know who they were without them, and now God was telling Peter to set kosher laws aside. He said it three times, just so Peter would get the point (10:16). Then, to make matters worse, as soon as he woke up he was told that there were people at the door summoning him to the centurion Cornelius’ house. That was a violation of the Law, too. But Peter had gotten the point and went.
When Peter arrived, Cornelius told him the angelic message he had received, and Peter understood what was going on. God was “raising the face” of the Gentiles, too. Peter was the first Pope, so he felt obliged to offer a homily about this important occasion, but before he could finish Cornelius interrupted, speaking in tongues along with his whole household, the same way the disciples had spoken in tongues on the day of Pentecost, when they had received the gift of the Holy Spirit (10:44-45). It seems the Holy Spirit didn’t see the virtue in long homilies, and interrupted so that everyone would get the message: God does not “raise the face” of the Jews alone, but anyone who loves and honors Him, even the people you may not like very much, even Roman army officers.
Peter got the message, and called for water (10:47). The initiation of Cornelius and his household would not be circumcision, but baptism.
God does not “raise the faces” of Christians alone. There are many, many people out there who are desperately unhappy today, people who are realizing that the message of materialism and secularism, has not and cannot deliver the peace, joy and meaning that we cannot live without. Many of them, despite themselves, despite so many of the things they have thought and said over the years, are seeking conversation with people who know the gospel, who know Jesus. They are beginning to suspect that maybe, just maybe, the gospel has the meaning, purpose, joy and peace that they lack.
We may not like those people. They have, it is true, said many things to us and about us that are false, unjust, and unkind.
But God is raising their faces, too.
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