“Stand Up, for I Am Only a Man Myself”

Acts 10:24–33

“The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?” Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the LORD has commanded you to tell us.”

Only God is worth absolute reverence and worship. In the past, and maybe even now people have bowed down to other people, royalty, persons holding positions of power and that’s how most organisations somehow work naturally and in many cultures the gods are associated with the elite in society: https://youtu.be/zz5_5lhSLg0 But verse after verse in Scripture we read that “the father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in His holy habitation. God settles the lonely in families; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity (Psa 68:5-6).” Here we see the Apostle Peter refusing to be honoured as though he were an angel or the Lord himself, “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself (vv. 25-26).”  Humility comes before honour (Prov 15:33). Both St. James & St. Peter quote Proverbs in saying, (1) But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “- God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Jam 4:6)”, and (2) “Young ones, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “- God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (I Pet 5:5).” And today Peter officially severed the chains that kept all of us from access to God, God has shown that the Early Church taking root from the Law of Moses, should not call anyone impure or unclean (v. 28). Through the apostles, our LORD Jesus Christ had yet again torn the veil, a second one that which separated the world from the Jews and the Father, now all may come into the Holy of Holies covered by His most precious blood.