God, you gotta love Him. So the first gentile he picks isn't just a Gentile, it's a Roman soldier, a centurion. Just goes to show -- no matter who you are -- if you keep following after God, you'll find Him. Or, better put, He'll reveal Himself to you. God, as the Jews would see it, goes plainly against His law by reaching out to the Gentiles. But He had said that Abraham's seed would be a blessing to all nations. Not only does Jesus not set up a military rule -- He reaches out through Peter to the military rulers of the day. Of course, the church questions this. Peter answers and the question is put to rest. It's not bad to have questions, but you must be willing to listen to the answers. Sometimes we question not for answers but simply to question. I admit I'm too often a victim of this in my nature.
Peter at the door is a funny story to me. Ok, James, the brother of John, has been killed by Herod. Peter is in prison and awaits his death. The believers are at the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, praying. Peter knocks and the servant girl recognizes his voice but doesn't open the door, just goes running back to the people. They don't believe he's there. He has to keep pounding on the door. Just funny they've been praying for his release and don't believe there prayers have been answered. A little like when we pray for healing and don't really believe God heals people...[or only through the skill of the doctor, many just pray that God will "help" or "be with" the doctor.]
I believe God can and will do it anyway He wants to! And often, He prefers to be the exception rather than the rule.
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