C, Pentecost Sunday - Acts 2:1-4,14,36b-41 "True Unity"
Pentecost is all about life. Growing things and Pentecost go hand in hand. This is not immediately obvious to us in the Southern Hemisphere as the days get shorter and colder and life seems to slow for winter at about the time we celebrate Pentecost. However, in the north, Pentecost colour and life match a verdant spring after the dormant cold of winter.
Similarly the disciples’ action slowed in the days after Jesus ascended into heaven, and after he subsequently asked them to stop and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. They believed the Lord and so they faithfully rested in his word for the promised coming of the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit came, the dormant disciples sprang to life and through them the Holy Spirit grew the church to three thousand in a day.
Hearing about the tremendous growth that first Pentecost makes us wonder what we might do to have growth like that in the church today. After all it’s natural for you and me to look to our own achievements in getting things done. So how might we turn the tide of a church that seems to be dormant, or even dying, and grow the numbers of newcomers and graft others back into the life of the post Pentecost church?
There is no doubt when humanity puts their heads together, great things can be done.
Some of the greatest welfare efforts on earth come as a result of people being united as one to help those in trouble, to overcome opposition, to move the seemingly impossible, to feed and clothe those afflicted by famine, natural disaster, or war. Humanity stands together as united nations so many hands makes light work!
Then the world also stops as one for events like the Olympics. People are united by sport. Peace and good will are promoted at these events. Struggles and fighting between individuals and countries is overlooked as people come together, celebrating the triumphs of the human spirit. Nothing moves a crowd like an underdog battling the odds and winning out over exhaustion, physical limits, and revelling in the dream of success. If it’s going to be, it’s up to me!
The power of human unity and achievement can also be seen all over the world in the massive structures created by human ingenuity. Think of the collective power as people come together to build the great structures of the earth; the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids, the Great Wall of China, man-made dams, and taller and taller buildings in our cities. In fact, in cities like Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, they pride themselves of building not only the biggest most luxurious buildings, but they also create islands on which to build these towers. Through the power of people superhuman things are done.
It seems while humanity is united, as we join to build bigger and bigger flying machines and space stations, and blast them further and further into space, nothing is going to stop us now! We are the champions; we are the champions of the world!
Much is done in the name of unity. Perhaps the world might be saved from environmental disaster through the unity of the human spirit, it’s believed. Bigger and bigger seems better. Or that’s what we’re led to believe anyway! God help those, who question or stand in the way of unity, who stand in the way of great gatherings of those who believe the same thing. In the name of unity — for the sake of unity!
It was this pack mentality which led a group of unified people to suggest, “Let us make bricks, and let us bake them thoroughly”. Then once that was done, “Let us build a city”. And after that, “Let us build a tower that reaches the heavens”. Little by little they did what they wanted; little by little their unity led them further and further into disobedience. Little by little in the name of unity, they disunited themselves from God and his command, to fill all the earth. Little by little they turned from he who gives humanity their identity and unity, and instead sought to make a name for themselves, there at
God’s image which actually gives humanity its identity and unity, through sin, turns his very image, our unity and who we are, into a god that humanity collectively worships in place of the One True God. Community, unity, or human oneness can be humanity’s greatest god today. And when these become god, they also cause most of the gravest human sins too.
In a church, which many outside the church see as obsolete, and many inside see as dormant or dying, the temptation to build up our identity and make a name for ourselves is real. In fact it’s happening today. Little by little the temptation to say “Let us… Let us do this, or let us do that”, in the name of unity, in the name of humanity, in the name of numbers, in the name of fun, in the name of common faith or belief, is tricking us to worship the sin tainted image of God in ourselves rather than God himself.
The danger of this deception is this: it uses all the same “churchy” language. Faith, fellowship, trust, unity of the spirit, love, Christianity, believer, belief, and even the name of God is invoked, and God’s word, is used to justify the collective belief in the power of humanity. Jesus’ name is used to justify the unity that ultimately divides us from the true unity that God wants for us in Christ Jesus.
Ironically, once the superficial covering is taken away from this oneness and unity mantra, individualism always comes to the fore.
The truth about us today is this: we think of ourselves a long time before we even begin to consider the welfare of others. Our love for God is driven by our desire to get what we want, over against loving God for the sake of just loving God.
Faith and trust in our God, who comes to us in the person of Jesus Christ, is overlooked in favour of a “personal faith”, which is trust in one’s self! Therefore, when unity is paraded over against Jesus Christ as a god it brings disunity, dysfunction, and destruction, between all of us and God, as we step out from under the umbrella of God’s grace, faith, and peace.
Ten days the disciples remained in
We hear from Acts chapter two… 1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in
36b …God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:1-4, 14, 36b-41)
The disunity that humanity finds as it looks for unity in itself has been put right by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and his promise of the Holy Spirit, sent to give us sight of Jesus through the gift of faith. It is God who creates and sustains the church. It’s the Holy Spirit who grows the church. It’s not the power of collective humanity but rather it’s the power of the Holy Spirit that saves us and gives us unity!
In fact, Luther says it well in his explanation of the Third Article of the Apostle’s Creed: I believe that I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and kept me in true faith. In the same way he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctities the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it united with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.
I believe that I cannot… believe in Jesus Christ, but the Holy Spirit gives me faith, when I hear God’s word of Jesus’ death and resurrection for me! Therefore, I must not hinder the work of the Spirit, who leads me back to the very thing that is saving me, Jesus’ death and resurrection, and my baptism into it.
Jesus’ will for you is to rest in the promise of the Holy Spirit who calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctities the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it united with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.
So what must we do? Let us, little by little, day by day, repent and return to our baptism to ponder anew, what the Almighty can do, who with his love, does befriend us! Amen.
