Humans Can't Direct the Spirit
A reflection on Pentecost
Today is Pentecost.
In the narrative of the gospel writers (mostly Luke), it occurs 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection. Pentecost (also known as Shavuot) was a Jewish festival celebrating the harvest, occurring fifty days after the sabbath following Passover. Pentēkostē was the Greek name, mostly recognized by Hellenistic Jews. Shavuot was a pilgrimage feast, meaning Jews from all over would converge on Jerusalem to celebrate together.
Pentecost, of course, became a significant marking point for the Church. The story in Acts 2:1-21 has many foundational implications. They are well-known, so I want to take a different angle today and simply note: Pentecost was a movement of God. The only human agency within Pentecost was a response to the movement of the Spirit. People did not make the Spirit move. They could only respond when she did.
The spectacularity of Pentecost is something, indeed. The visual, the sound, the change in atmosphere and the lives of those present was truly something. When someone comes to and accepts Christ’s way for their life, and thus the Spirit for wisdom and guidance from there on, it is the most foundational and life-changing thing one can possibly do.
But, like Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration, it’s not up to us to re-create such spectacle, but to be always ready when the Lord decides to move in such ways at some other point.
John 3:5-8
Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. Don’t be surprised that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ God’s Spirit blows wherever it wishes. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It’s the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Luke 24:49
“Look, I’m sending to you what my Father promised, but you are to stay in the city until you have been furnished with heavenly power.”
Acts 2:1-21
When Pentecost Day arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound from heaven like the howling of a fierce wind filled the entire house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be individual flames of fire alighting on each one of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them to speak.
There were pious Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered. They were mystified because everyone heard them speaking in their native languages. They were surprised and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all the people who are speaking Galileans, every one of them? How then can each of us hear them speaking in our native language? Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; as well as residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the regions of Libya bordering Cyrene; and visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the mighty works of God in our own languages!” They were all surprised and bewildered. Some asked each other, “What does this mean?” Others jeered at them, saying, “They’re full of new wine!”
Peter stood with the other eleven apostles. He raised his voice and declared, “Judeans and everyone living in Jerusalem! Know this! Listen carefully to my words! These people aren’t drunk, as you suspect; after all, it’s only nine o’clock in the morning! Rather, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young will see visions. Your elders will dream dreams. Even upon my servants, men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will cause wonders to occur in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and a cloud of smoke. The sun will be changed into darkness, and the moon will be changed into blood, before the great and spectacular day of the Lord comes. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Prayer
God,
On this day you opened the way of life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching, teaching, and enactment of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.