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May 23,  2010 The Day of Pentecost also called Whitsunday Year C Acts 2:1-21 or Genesis 11:1-9 Psalm 104:25-35, 37 Acts 2:1-21 or Romans 8:14-17 John 14:8-17 (25-27) Click here for sermons from previous weeks The Rev. Virginia W. Nagel Episcopal Diocese of Central NY (Retired) In the Jewish calendar, Pentecost was the next big feast after Passover. The farmers in Israel were accustomed to sow their grain crops just before Passover, and so the first plants would be ready to harvest fifty days later, at Pentecost. The farmers would bring the first-harvested grains to the Temple, as a thank-offering to God for good weather and good growing conditions; so Pentecost was also known as the Feast of First-Fruits. Both Passover and Pentecost were feasts when Jewish males were supposed to be present at the Temple, and so Jerusalem was just as crowded at Pentecost as it would be during Passover season, with people coming from all around the Mediterranean basin and even further afield to participate in the feast. This is part of the reason why the disciples and the other followers of Jesus were locked into the upper room again. Jesus had ascended into heaven, and had commanded his followers to wait and pray for the coming of the Advocate, the Comforter, whom he had promised to send to them. The presence of the huge crowds would have been very threatening to the disciples and other followers of Jesus, who remembered all too well what had happened the last time Jerusalem was so crowded. They were not sure what to expect. They were not at all clear about who the Advocate or Comforter might be. All they knew was that Jesus was gone, this time permanently, as far as they knew; and they were to watch and pray for some sort of Coming of some sort of heavenly Being, who was supposed to guide and help them to do the work Jesus had left them to do. It was not at all clear, and they could be excused for being very much afraid and for seeking the comfort of locked doors and close companionship with each other. And then the mysterious Comforter or Advocate came, the Holy Spirit, and suddenly they were no longer afraid or in need of comfort; they burst out of the upper room and boldly began proclaiming the news about Jesus all over Jerusalem. Oddly, although they all spoke their native Aramaic or Hebrew, the message was heard in a variety of languages, so that everyone in Jerusalem heard and understood what they were saying. It was not only the variety of languages that was miraculous; it was the sudden infusion of courage in people who had, until now, been very afraid. Someone has said that hindsight is superior to foresight, and so it was not until later that the followers of Jesus got back together to discuss what had happened that day. Probably it was that evening, but we don't really know. Since they all, good Jews, knew their Scripture, they must have seen the connection with the story of the Tower of Babel. Once again, God had changed speakers of one common language into speakers of many different languages, but where the miracle at Babel had been a punishment for the people, here it was an empowerment. Where once God had had to break up a fellowship aimed at trying to show its desire to prove itself the equal or better of God, now God was creating a fellowship that would do his will and his work. Where once God had had to scatter people to prevent them from going against God's plans for the world and for humanity, now God was bringing together people of many lands and languages to carry out God's plans for the world and for humanity. So the Good News about Jesus began to spread, as the crowds in Jerusalem returned home and took with them the tales of what they had seen and heard at Pentecost. Some of them, most likely, simply repeated the story to their family and friends. But others took the message to heart, thought about it, and in one way or another acted upon it, and so the church began to grow. The thousands that asked for baptism that Pentecost Day in Jerusalem were only the beginning. It still has not ended. You and I are among that number; having been baptized into Christ, now it is our privilege and duty to carry the Good News on, into our own homes and workplaces and social events. We are all part of the miracle of Pentecost. Like the original band of disciples and believers, we still are not entirely clear about who that Comforter, Advocate or Holy Spirit might be. Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit. We know that the Spirit is with us all the time, to guide us so that we will know God's will, and to give us the tools and power we need to do God's will. We know that the Spirit gives us not only courage and strength, as with the believers at the first Pentecost, but the guidance to use that courage and strength for whatever God wants us to do. But, somehow, we cannot quite define God the Holy Spirit in human terms, as we seem to be able to do with God the Father and God the Son. Perhaps the feeling of mystery about the Holy Spirit is part of what attracts us to God; some think so. Perhaps it is simply that God is too great and awesome for our feeble human minds and hearts to understand and encompass. But there is no question that the Holy Spirit is a person of such power and love that we cannot honestly refuse to know, and to do what the Spirit leads us to do, if we truly believe in and love the Lord. Amen. Amen. Back To Top Home