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Lessons from the Olive Tree:Are You Ready to Grow?
by Ann H. LeFevre (Ann's bio)
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From December 30, 2002 to January 11, 2003, I was privileged to accompany 21 of my fellow seminary students on a study tour of Israel. The following is an excerpt from the journal I kept during my trip:
What a contrast! Caesarea Maritima is practically deserted compared to my first trip, but the ocean is as beautiful as ever. As we sit and listen to our guide lecture on this illustrious city, I am struck by what it was like to be a part of the early church. Those days were filled with the unexpected. As the Gospel moved from Jerusalem to the cities beyond, Peter and the disciples saw God working in ways they never dreamed of. The movement of God's hand brought them to places like Caesarea. The remarkable planning and building of this city is credited to Herod the Great. The port, with it breakfront and gigantic statues, must have been a wonder to see, and the city quite appealing with all its finery and amusements. The remains of the city include portions of Herod's palace, an arena for horse races, aqueducts, and an enormous theater which seated 4,000 people.
Here in this city, one of Herod's architectural achievements, God began to build upon the foundation of His church by calling Peter from Joppa to Cornelius in Caesarea Maritima. The introduction of the Gentiles into the church confused the devout believers of Peter's day. They had read the Scriptures, knew the promises and covenants, but none of them would have considered those promises to be directed towards anybody but the Jews, although it was God's intent all along (See Genesis 12:1-3). So it is understandable that Peter had difficulty grasping the point of his vision at first.
As I look about the amazing amphitheater in which we are seated, I try to picture Peter searching for Cornelius in that bustling seaport. In some ways it must have been overwhelming as most cities are, noisy, full of activity and carnality. But it may have been even more overwhelming in the theological sense. Imagine Peter's surprise when Cornelius and his whole household were blessed with the Holy Spirit, the recognized signature of God, The Architect of the Church. Just when Peter thought he'd gotten a grasp of the building plans, God add a new wing!
I'm sure Peter had not forgotten the day when Jesus said He would build His church (Matthew 16:13-19). But he hadn't fully understood the building plans. Through this miraculous event the Lord was challenging Peter, “I'm building my church. Are you ready to grow?” Was Peter willing to work with the Master Builder? Though he was stretched, Peter responded with faith and he did grow. The underlying message of Cornelius' household in Caesarea Maritima is that we should never pigeon hole God into working one particular way. He will always surprise us. The Lord is asking us the same question today, “Are you ready to grow?” My hope for my own Christian walk is that my answer would be, “Yes Lord, I'm ready.” How about you? What is the Lord building upon in your life? Are you ready to grow?
Copyright 2003, Ann H. LeFevre. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
| About Ann H. LeFevre: Ann H. LeFevre, author of the Complete Messianic Haggadah, holds a BA in Fine Arts from Bethany College, is a graduate of the Institute of Jewish Studies, Philadelphia Biblical University and is currently earning her MDiv at Alliance Seminary, Nyack NY. Ann has been married to her husband Jeff for 23 years, has two grown sons, and enjoys traveling. You can e-mail Ann at OlivetreeAnn@netscape.net |
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