Day of Pentecost, Year C: Acts 2:1-21: Birth of the Church

You can see all the lectionary readings for the Day of Pentecost, Year C by clicking here. I have chosen to discuss the passage from the book of Acts.

Even though I want to focus on Acts, I’ll go over the John passage a little because it comes first chronologically. Jesus is speaking to his disciples during his Last Supper and he has told them he is going to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house, which he says has many rooms. He is talking about going to be with God and they are understandably a bit freaked out at the way he is talking. Philip says, “Show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus tells him, “Don’t you know me after all this time we’ve been together? If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.” He tells them God is living in him, doing his work through him. He says, “Believe me when I say I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.” Then he goes on to promise that he will ask the Father to send an Advocate. He says, “This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.” This is a deep passage. About as simple I can make it is to say, Jesus tells his followers that he will be leaving them to go to Heaven but he will send them a helper to be with them always and help them do his work. The Holy Spirit helps us to live as God would have us live and shows how to truly love others.

The Acts passage is a bit more of a story to tell, though it can still be a bit confusing. It’s actually a bit of an exciting story with roaring winds and tongues of fire and miracles. On the day of Pentecost, (which was a Jewish holy day) all Jesus’ followers were gathered in one place, probably to celebrate the day because they were all Jewish and following Jewish customs as well as following Jesus. (This was after Jesus had been taken up to Heaven and the apostles had chosen a replacement for Judas, who had betrayed Jesus. The replacement’s name was Matthias, just so you know.) While they were in this house together, a violent wind blew down from heaven and filled the house. Then they saw tongues of fire settle on each of them. That was a visible sign of the miracle that followed. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages.

It seems that they went outside among the crowds of people visiting Jerusalem for Pentecost and began to speak to them, and the people were amazed that they all heard their own languages from these Galileans. And picture the apostles; they were not all a bunch of rabbis or well-educated men. They were fishermen and the like, for the most part. So this bunch of working-class dudes emerges and they are all speaking in languages everyone can understand, though the crowds are from all over the place and speak many different languages. They asked one another, “What does this mean?” And this part is a little funny—some of them think they’re drunk. I suppose that would explain this group of people coming out and speaking all at once but not the fact that everyone can understand in his or her own language.

Then Peter speaks up and addresses the crowds and tells them, they’re not drunk, it’s only 9 in the morning! (Look at Peter, remember what we said about him after Jesus reinstated him by saying “Feed my sheep”? This is him as a leader of the new church, strong and fearless, never denying his Christ again!) He quotes them a scripture from the book of Joel, a promise that God would pour out his Spirit and his servants will prophesy and there will be wonders. The point is he basically goes on from there to tell them all about Jesus and his teachings and called on them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Pentecost is traditionally seen as the birth of the church. Before they were all kind of hanging out; Jesus had died, risen, and then ascended into heaven again, and they were just sort of waiting and praying. Then after the miracle of Pentecost happens and Peter makes his great sermon, they go on to have more miracles and spread the word of God and the love of Jesus everywhere. Pentecost was the moment it really took off and the church began. Here began the church as a world-wide family and we can carry the love of God out from where we are into the larger world as they did on that day.

Proper 27, Year B: Mark 12:38-44: Giving All

You can see all the lectionary readings for Proper 27, Year B by clicking here. I have chosen to discuss the passage from the Gospel of Mark.

Jesus is teaching. He tells the people to beware of the teachers of the law who walk around trying to look important and have the best seats at events. They want to look holy but they cheat the poor. 

He sits near the collection box in the temple and watches as people put in their money. He sees rich people put in tons of money but a poor widow puts in just two small coins.

Jesus calls his disciples to him and tells them that the widow gave more than all the rich people, because they gave out of their wealth and only what they didn’t need, but she gave all she had.

It’s so like Jesus that in a parade of people making ostentations donations, what he notices is the poor woman who quietly gives the very little she has. This carries on the lessons we’ve been learning during this season of Pentecost. To live the love of Christ, we must sacrifice and trust God with all we have. 

Day of Pentecost, Year B: John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15: The Advocate

You can see all the lectionary readings for the Day of Pentecost, Year B by clicking here. I have chosen to discuss the passage from the Gospel of John. I already wrote about the Acts passage for the Day of Pentecost, Year A.

In today’s Gospel text, Jesus is telling his followers about the coming of the Holy Spirit, whom he calls the Advocate and the Spirit of truth (at least in the translation in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible).

He says that the Advocate will testify (or in other words, advocate) on his behalf. His followers are also to testify about him. He explains that he didn’t tell them this before because he was with them, but now that he is returning to the one who sent him, he sees that they are full of sorrow. He tells them if he does not go, the Advocate will not come to them, but when he goes, he will send the Advocate to them. He says the Spirit of truth will guide them into all truth.

He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

John 16: 14-15

This is a rather complex passage for me. The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible talks about the meaning of Advocate and testifying in relation to courts and legal matters, which makes some sense. As an advocate to speak on legal behalf of a client, the Holy Spirit is like an advocate–working in the hearts of Christians to help them know and follow the way of Jesus.

Day of Pentecost, Year A: Happy Birthday to the Church: Acts 2:1-21

Venice – Descent of the Holy Ghost by Titian – Source: iStockphoto.com/sedmak

You can see all the lectionary readings for the Day of Pentecost, Year A by clicking here. I have chosen to discuss only the First Lesson reading from the book of Acts.

This week I think I will again explore the story in the book of Acts rather than sticking to the Gospel as I often prefer to do. They are both referring to Pentecost (here’s a nice little succinct link about Pentecost if you want to know more), which is celebrated this Sunday.  The John passage is about when Jesus comes to his disciples after his resurrection and promises them the Holy Spirit will come to them.

The Acts passage is a bit more of a story to tell, though it can still be a bit confusing at first. It’s actually a bit of an exciting story with roaring winds and tongues of fire and miracles. On the day of Pentecost, (which was a Jewish holy day) all Jesus’ followers were gathered in one place, probably to celebrate the day because they were still all Jewish and all following Jewish customs as well as following Jesus. (This was after Jesus had been taken up to Heaven and the apostles had chosen a replacement for Judas, who had betrayed Jesus. The replacement’s name was Matthias, just so you know.) While they were in this house together, a violent wind blew down from heaven and filled the house. Then they saw tongues of fire settle on each of them. Try to visualize this miracle; like little bright flames like you see on a candle above their heads.  That was a visible sign of the miracle that followed. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages.

It seems that they went outside among the crowds of people visiting Jerusalem for Pentecost and began to speak to them, and the people were amazed that they all heard their own languages from these Galileans. And picture the apostles; they were not all a bunch of rabbis or well-educated men. They were fishermen and the like, for the most part. So this bunch of working class dudes come out and are all speaking in languages everyone can understand, though the crowds are from all over the place and speak many different languages. They asked one another, “What does this mean?” And this part is a little funny—some of them think they’re drunk. I suppose that would explain this group of people coming out and speaking all at once but not the fact that everyone can understand in his or her own language.

Then Peter speaks up and addresses the crowds and tells them, they’re not drunk, it’s only 9 in the morning! (Look at Peter, remember this is after Jesus reinstated him by saying “Feed my sheep”.  This is him as a leader of the new church, strong and fearless, never denying his Christ again!)  He quotes them a scripture from the book of Joel, a promise that God would pour out his Spirit and his servants will prophesy and there will be wonders. The point is he basically goes on from there to tell them all about Jesus and his teachings and called on them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

One important point is that Pentecost is seen as the birth of the church. Before they were all kind of hanging out; Jesus had died, risen, and then ascended into heaven again, and they were just sort of waiting and praying. Then after the miracle of Pentecost happens and Peter makes his great sermon, they go on to have more miracles and spread the word of God and the love of Jesus everywhere. Pentecost was the moment when the Holy Spirit came upon them and the church really began. Now the church is not just one little group, not just our local church, but a worldwide family. We can carry the love of God out from our own churches into the larger world as they did on that day.