6-8-25 Jn 14:8-27. Acts 2;1-21, Gen 11
Be enlivened by the Father, who is made known in the Son, who sends faith and community on the winds of the Spirit. Amen
The day of Pentecost had come. It was 50 days since the resurrection of Jesus. 50 days had been given to soak up this new and amazing reality. Jesus always kept his promises so on this day they witnessed again his faithfulness. He had told them to go to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Spirit. Those followers became like living candles with tongues of fire appearing on them. It is no wonder we think of Pentecost as a birthday celebration of the church, with this host of candles appearing. As those believers began to witness about Jesus, suddenly all the people heard the message in their own original language. It was the Spirit that made this possible. This was a demonstration of divine power so this large gathering with its wide variety of people, began to comprehend who the Lord was and appreciate the authority of His name. God really showed them that day!
It had been just the opposite in those very ancient days, of which we read in the First lesson from Genesis. There we heard of people gaining a taste of their own power as they recognized the wonder and extent of their own capabilities. Together they designed and built an amazing city and tower that reached up into the heavens. They were awed by their own achievements and were beginning to imagine how far that could take them, as they basked in the marvels they had created. A vision formed of just how truly great they were, there would be no limit to what they could accomplish. It seems they expected to demonstrate their superiority, even to their Creator! They would show God!
Sadly, their skills were being misdirected. They had many talents but did not understand the divinely given purpose with which they had been provided. They did not see God’s design for them. They were meant to make the Lord’s name known, giving glory to God, rather than focus on themselves. So, it became demonstrated to them that they didn’t grasp their reality nearly as well as they had thought. In short order, they weren’t able even to understand each other’s speech as their languages became confused and they were scattered abroad across the earth.
Jesus was sent into this world that had been splintered and broken apart into numerous nations and factions. Peoples which were more likely desiring to conquer each other than to cooperate. There were a host of agendas being pursued but few had to do with God’s plan. Jesus lived among the people who had inherited a great legacy of Scripture and were acquainted with God the creator. They knew the One who had made the universe out of the void of nothing. They worshipped the One who had chosen them as His people to bring a blessing to the world. Their prophets had warned them of the disastrous consequences of their sin. Finally John had come from the wilderness preaching the need for repentance; many had listened and were baptized. Then they met Jesus and some were ready to listen to him. Those who followed him recognized the power from God in Jesus’ words and in his healing. They sought to understand and take up Jesus’ way. They thought they were ready to take on the world. We hear Philip say: “Lord, just show us the Father, and we will be satisfied!” We want just this one more thing and we will be on board, we will then understand and be content. Yeah, we saw you feed the thousands, we witnessed your healings with a word or touch, we know you stilled the storm, and in many other ways brought peace to us. But there is one more thing we really want. Show us the Father! A little glimpse of the Holy, of that very special relationship you have described and demonstrated, bring it to us. Come on, show us! One more proof to eliminate our doubts.
We realize it was not more demonstrations that they really needed; it was more faith. They needed to trust.
On Pentecost the crowd was treated to an incredible demonstration of power: wind, fire, a personalized message in their native tongues describing God’s deeds of power. Yet they had to ask: What does this mean? Again, one more way is requested to bring clarification, it seems humanity is never satisfied with what God provides. Peter explained that they actually already had been given the explanation, as the prophet Joel had foretold: I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And earlier, in the gospel, Jesus had told Philip and the others what that would be like and how it would come to be: I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth. And Jesus had explained exactly what that was to mean! It means this: The one who believes in me will also do the works that I do, and in fact, will do greater works than these. So, it will be in the doing when all it means becomes clear.
In the activities of life, how we relate to each other, how we speak and treat one another, the goal of those actions, is how our witness is given. Here is one example.
Dr. Pierce shares this childhood memory in her new book The Wounds Are the Witness: Black Faith Weaving Memory into Justice and Healing. (Connections, June 2025)
“I imagined the day of Pentecost as a spiritual table, like the kitchen table of my grandmother’s house, with room for who- soever will come. The kitchen table of my childhood expanded infinitely on Sundays and holidays and special occasions, when the normal place settings for a family of four grew to miraculously accommodate 20 or 30 or 40 guests. There was always room — and food — for one more person.
“I could not imagine a scenario in which someone would be turned away from our table. I still can’t. I cannot imagine a family member or stranger not being embraced and welcomed with an offering of biscuits or pound cake. It wasn’t just that there was room at the table; there was love and joy and laughter. The meal was already prepared for you. All you had to do was choose your seat and sit down.
“Now, truth be told, as kids, we were regularly bumped from the table for adults. If the knock at the door brought another grown-up for dinner, I knew I had to give up my usual weekday spot at the dining room table. Some Sundays, and all the holidays, we had enough kids for a separate kids’ table. What we learned as children is knowledge I now treasure as an adult: God multiplies whatever we freely offer, including food and hospitality.”
God continually welcomes all of us to his table. What does this mean? As we take our place, we are to do all we can to make sure everyone finds their place. The very Spirit of God, invisible and difficult to define in words, yet real and active, is what makes you and me and all the people who participate around this table into the church of the Risen Christ. The Spirit breathes into us the same love that binds the Father to the Son, and binds them to us. What does this mean? The Spirit guides us to faith and motivates us to do the works of Christ in our own lives. What does this mean? Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.