Acts
2: 1 - 21
Psalm
104: 25 – 35, 37
I
Corinthians 12: 3b – 13
John
20: 19 – 23
This
is the homily given at St. John’s, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, given on May 28,
2023 by Fr. Gene Tucker.
“RELATIONSHIP AND SERVICE”
(Homily text: Acts 2: 1 – 21)
As we consider the events that took
place on this day, the day of Pentecost, let’s focus our consideration on two
aspects of what happened on that day, in the ways in which those involved were
made aware of the Holy Spirit’s identity and power, and also in the ways in
which the Spirit’s presence and power were given for the purpose of sharing the
Good News (Gospel) of Christ with the world.
Let’s begin with a review of what
happened that day, as the Spirit descended on those gathered (we’re not sure of
the number, for Luke – the writer of the Book of Acts – isn’t helpful in his
explanation: Could it have been the original group of twelve Apostles[1], or
was it a larger number, 120, that was mentioned in the text a bit earlier?)[2]
Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit’s
arrival was marked by something “like” a mighty wind, and with something that
resembled tongues of fire which appeared above the heads of each one gathered
that day. (Notice that Luke attempts to describe what happened, making
analogies with the words “like” and “as of”. To a certain extent, because God
is involved in what happened, some aspects of the event are difficult to
capture entirely.)
What we can discern about the Pentecost
event is that our human understanding of the Holy Spirit’s identity and power
changed.
Prior to Pentecost, in Old Testament
times, there are numerous references in those times to the Spirit of God
descending on someone. Examples would include the following: Genesis 41:38;
Exodus 31:3 and 35:31; Numbers 24:2; I Samuel 10:10, 11:6, 19:20 and 19:23; II
Chronicles 15:1. In each of these cases, the Spirit’s descent enabled the
person to do something they couldn’t have done absent the Spirit’s presence and
power.
In truth, since God’s nature is
unchanging, the events of Pentecost didn’t mark a change in God’s essential
nature. Nor did the Pentecost event change the relationship between the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit, as the Church would come to understand that
relationship in future years. But what did change was that God chose to reveal
something new about His essential nature to humankind. It is our understanding
that changed, not God’s nature.
But now, on the day of Pentecost, as
the Holy Spirit descends, each one present is given power to do something
extraordinary: The ability to speak a foreign language, one they had not known
before.
Those who had come to Jerusalem on
pilgrimage for the feast of Pentecost from the various areas that Luke includes
were able to understand what the disciples and the Apostles were saying.
Notice the far-ranging audience that
was present that day, those who heard – in their own language – about God’s
great works. We can glean from this part of the account of that day’s events
that the scope of the spread of the Good News is to be world-wide.
Each one whose lives were changed by
the rush of that mighty wind, and by the descent of the fire (signifying God’s
presence and purifying power) went out, sharing their experience with others.
The gift of the spirit was never intended to be hoarded as private treasure. On
the contrary, the Spirit’s presence in their lives and in ours was intended to
empower them to be witnesses to God’s mighty acts, so that the lives of others
would also be changed for good.
This day is regarded as the “birthday
of the Church”, the day on which the Church was – in a very real sense –
founded to carry out the work God intends for the world. Therefore, the gifts
given to the Church are not her sole possession, but are to be used to reach
out in service, in love, and in testimony to God’s power and God’s intent for
the world.
May the Holy Spirit descend on us in
might and in power, as it did to those gathered on that day, that we might use
the language of those we encounter for the sharing of God’s great and good
news.
AMEN.
[1] By the day of Pentecost, Matthias had been
chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. See Acts 1: 21 – 26.
[2] Acts 1: 15
