A Peter Profile: 07 – Shifting Perspectives Part 1

He saw the experience three times. It happened three times and he was perplexed.

What could this possibly mean?

There was an occasion before when he was asked something three times. Was this another test? Of course there was also the time he denied His Master three times, but that wasn’t this was it?

He was just perplexed.

Things were going well for him. He had seen people turn to Jesus in Lydda after Aeneas was given the movement of his legs having been so long crippled. Then there was what happened to Tabitha right there in Joppa. It was like Jairus’ daughter all over again, but on another level. Tabitha was a grown woman and they were prepaing her body for burial. Yet the name of Jesus had brought life back to her body.

But then came these visions. So odd, so peculiar. So …

Perplexing.

Why would this heavenly voice ask him to do something so blasphemous? Was it a test? Was he being tempted to deny the faith that he knew all his life?

Then what’s this? Three men coming for him? OK, no need to be afraid of them, just follow them to wherever they’ll take him.

…

It’s very unusual to say the least to be going to this centurion’s house. But if that’s the instruction given, then he might as well obey.

When he arrived, the centurion’s greeting was astonishing in itself. Then he saw all those who showed up and heard what this man had to say. Once again the Spirit of God opened his eyes to something that he had truly never appreciated before and this would prove to be another major shift in his perspective.

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.

It was further reinforced when he saw what happened among the listeners as they took in the same good news that he had preached in among his brothers throughout the region. It was like Pentecost again and it moved Peter to act to embrace them in the community the same way that everyone had been.

This was a major shift in his perspective, but was this to be left to just him?

Was he the only one who needed to experience this kind of shift?

Is he the only one who needs a major perspective shift in the light of the good news of Jesus?

Or is it for others to just remain perplexed?

(Photo by Paul Skorupskas on Unsplash)

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden