Feast
of Pentecost
27
May 2012
St.
John's, Chicago, IL
In
the Name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Agent
Phil Coulson is a national hero. At
least, in Marvel Comics. But he is not
in the limelight. He is not noticed by the public. Agent Coulson is perfectly happy to do the
background and behind-the-scenes work, while Captain America, Iron Man, Thor,
and the rest end up saving the day. He
himself admires these heroes, and would be the first to tell you not to pay attention to him, but to the
Avengers.
In
a similar, but infinitely greater way, the Holy Spirit is God. Yet He is not in the limelight. He is not noticed much. He is perfectly happy to do the background
and behind-the-scenes work in giving and strengthening and sustaining your
faith, as Christ Jesus saves you. Even
though He is equal to God the Son, the Spirit would tell you not to focus your attention on Him,but
on Christ alone.
Here
we are. Ten days after the
Ascension. Jesus had told the Eleven to
wait in Jerusalem until He sent them the Gift that would come on this very day;
the Holy Spirit Himself! He taught them
a great deal about the Spirit, as He prayed and promised them on the night
before He died. Now, it was finally
coming to pass.
The
children of God were receiving the Spirit of the Lord, and were prophesying,
just as the Prophet Joel had foretold.
Through this gift of speaking in languages they had never studied, the
Lord was taking His Gospel, and spreading it to great numbers of people, very
swiftly!
The
Spirit was using this Word of God to breathe new life into vast armies of dry
bones, as He took those who had languished, waiting for God to act throughout
the centuries. Now, He had, and now, He
resuscitated them, breathing life and immortality to them as a gift through
Christ Jesus!
The
Lord God provided this Feast of Pentecost in His Old Testament Church to
anticipate this very day that the disciples were now experiencing. This harvest festival was 50 days after
Passover. Now, 50 days after the
ultimate Passover, the Holy Spirit was harvesting thousands in faith for the
Lord. No one could see Him or touch Him,
but the Holy Spirit was and is working through God's means.
Pentecost
would now be remembered for the event it had anticipated; this harvest of
faithful, which the Lord reaped through the preaching of St. Peter and the
others. Yes, it was the work of the
Spirit, but He does not magically work by Himself. The Spirit gave words to Peter to
preach. And He worked through the Baptism
that washed some 3,000 people into God's kingdom that day.
There
are many who would try to persuade you that the Spirit is working when you can
feel it. That somehow your heart is
burning, or you have some calming peace.
Well, He may give you some reassurance like that, but He never promises
it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5er_Hn7YSAYnoF5YQpW7_NE8dAswizpKoUPTSK8thrnvFjLvtWJDyMGSvPYJP-JunZ_SiLcW-x9c-Q12Zn0l8A2JFva-ajFgfaUuPnOm3tK8YqT9sg5bWrnxJxu-Zrf1eJPadvJQjvszC/s320/Pentecost.jpg)
You
fall into the same traps. You can end up
talking about the Holy Spirit as if He is your imaginary friend. You grieve God when you look for this Spirit
where He is not to be found. And you
grieve Him when you pay too much attention to the Spirit, rather than Christ! Don't start looking for gifts that were not
promised beyond the generation of the apostles.
Nothing will come of that, except perhaps, the wasting away to dry
bones, while you look away from the renewing and refreshing and reviving Word.
Christ
is the perfect and ultimate hero, who has rescued you, not from some alien
invasion, but from yourself, and the pains of hell that you were courting. And the Holy Spirit is the agent who brings
you into contact with your divine Hero, bringing you to be rescued.
Thanks
be to God, who sends His agent to deliver Jesus to you, that you may be His,
and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness,
innocence, and blessedness. Amen.