Pentecost

On this Sunday of Pentecost, we celebrate the day the Holy Spirit came from heaven to rest upon each of the disciples.

“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole [place] where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” [Acts 2:2-4]

        To be in a land where one doesn’t speak the native language can be quite disconcerting if not frightful. Not being able to communicate one’s needs for food, water or shelter can mean life or death.

        Add to this the complications of not knowing the governing laws or the society’s customs; and a person’s situation becomes even more tenuous. In some countries, wearing the wrong clothes (such as a woman not covering her head), an offensive religious symbol, or a performing a seemingly innocuous act, (such as showing the bottom of your feet), can lead to harm or imprisonment.

        Most people who do trade and/or live in a land foreign to their own do their best to learn the local language and customs in order to live peaceably in their surroundings. This also allows them to be accepted to a point where they can do business or make a living in their labor.

        Speaking more than one language is not as prevalent in these United States, than it is in other countries. The European union, which currently consists of 27 member states, has 24 official languages accepted as working languages, ‘but in practice only three – English, French, and German – are in wide general use, and of these, English is the most commonly used.’[1]

        A friend of mine, whose father was an international news correspondent, was born in Germany. He and his sister spoke English, German and French fluently. This is a trait one will find in most residents on the continent of Europe.

        At the time of the scripture of Acts, more than a few languages were spoken. For Jesus and his disciples, Aramaic was their first language and it was common in Judea in the first century A.D. Scholars have noted that a Galilean variant of Aramaic was distinguishable from that of the Aramaic spoken in Jerusalem. This would explain why Peter was so easily sussed out by the temple servants, during Christ’s interrogation, by way of his dialect.

        Hebrew was the language used mostly for religious purposes and Koine Greek (Koine meaning the common Greek of the time) was used by those not native to Judea; and was most likely used as the language for trade by merchants.

        Verse 5 of the second chapter of Acts states:

‘Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. …and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. …they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?”’ [Acts 2:5-8]

Here we are told devout Jews from every nation under heaven were dwelling in Jerusalem. This means a number of people from other countries were either permanently or semi-permanently living in Jerusalem. The scripture continues to name 14 different lands with distinct and different languages.

        Now imagine what it is like to be in a foreign land not being able to communicate your simplest needs. Even if one had a rudimentary vocabulary of the local tongue, it is still very difficult to understand and to be understood. And out of the drone of the languages you don’t comprehend you hear someone speaking your language!

        What a relief! You don’t know who the person is, but that doesn’t matter; you now have someone who can understand. You immediately seek out that person in hope that he can help you navigate the strange environment.

        When I spent a few months in Panama, local friends, who didn’t speak English, would go to the movies and invite me to come along. They all wanted to see the latest Hollywood block-buster that had been released. All of these American films were subtitled in Spanish. Even though the movies were usually months behind their original release in the United States, I still enjoyed them. Why? Because I was hearing my native language and didn’t have to work on translating everything.

        Think of how powerful the words of the disciples on that Pentecost day! People were hearing the Word of God in their own tongue. They did not have to interpret or translate what was being said. They did not have to wonder if the word in one language meant something else in their own.

        This power for God’s Word to be understood by all people of all nations came to the disciples through the Holy Spirit. This fire from heaven was the fulfilled promise of Jesus during his final time with the disciples, as the Gospel of John 15:26-27 states:

“But when the Comforter comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”

And that is what the disciples immediately did; they bore witness to the Christ. They spoke in the languages, or tongues, of all those people in the crowd. Some thought they were drunk on new wine; others were amazed that they heard the proclamation of the Christ’s atoning sacrifice in their own language.

        So shaken by the words of the Spirit those who heard were ‘cut to the heart’ and asked Peter and the apostles what they should do. [Acts 2:37]

‘And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ [Acts 2:38]

        What would we do? This sign and proclamation, that this Jesus, whom you crucified, this Jesus God has raised up, this Jesus who God has made both Lord and Christ… is this enough for you to believe? Would you repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, like the three thousand that day?

        We are in a world of crisis, not only of moral or cultural corruption but of disease and economic degradation. Yet I take comfort. The very words I struggle so hard to impart to my neighbors and brothers & sisters are the very same words that give me comfort.

        From our baptism, we have been given the Holy Spirit. The water with the Word of God fills us with the Spirit as a flooding river bursts its banks. As mere human vessels, we cannot contain the infinite Spirit of God. This is the same life-giving water offered by Jesus:

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” [John 7:37b-38]

This water flows through you and me. Out of our hearts flows a river of living water. We have the authority by Christ Jesus to give this living water to all who thirst.

        We approach others as those whom God would want to save recognizing that God desires for them to be saints in Christ. We proclaim Christ crucified as the Holy Spirit brings them understanding in their own language to their own hearts.

        You see, the ruler of this world, the Satan who uses evil as his instrument for unbelief, does not wish us comfort. The devil does not wish us to know of the pure grace of God that sent His Son to be our Redeemer. The evil one does not want us to be made righteous by the blood of the Lamb.

        You may know of those who have not been baptized in the water and the Word and thus has the Holy Spirit living within them. It is hard, I know. There have been times when I wish that I could have had one more chance. I wish that I could have been there to say one more time, “God does exist and Christ is your Savior.” I wish I had the power to speak in the tongue in which our generation would understand.

        Remember this: You are baptized in the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. You take comfort in your promise of life eternal with our Father in Heaven. Every day you see the beauty of God’s creation and experience the Holy Spirit as you live and breathe.

        Be assured in the promise of Jesus Christ,

“I will send him to you… When the Counselor comes, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify.” [John 15:26]

        And although the last seems a command, it is also a promise. With the Holy Spirit dwelling within, you have no choice but to spread the good news. The Holy Spirit does the work for us. I have complete confidence that he will get it done.

        On Pentecost, in 1534, Dr. Martin Luther said this in his sermon:

“On this Pentecost Day of the New Testament the Holy Spirit began to carry out his office and work in a way that fulfills what Christ had promised he would be: a Comforter and the Spirit of truth. For he filled the hearts of the apostles and disciples with a sure and certain comfort and gave them such a joyful courage, that they were totally unconcerned about the approval or disapproval of the world, not caring whether they were friend or foe, whether they frowned in fury or laughed with glee.

“This is the kind of Pentecost people the Holy Spirit produces, people who know that they have a gracious God and Father in Christ, and who boldly proceed to confess Christ before the whole world, and are prepared to suffer for his sake.”[2]

        The tongues of fire on Pentecost were a sign that the Holy Spirit had come to the disciples in order that they would be comforted and have the counsel of God as if Jesus were still with them. Like the tongues of fire from heaven on Pentecost, through our baptism, we have the counsel of the Holy Spirit and his comfort always.

Amen

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_European_Union

[2] [Sermons of Martin Luther: The House Postils, Vol 2, p. 160, 161]