One of the things to notice about the sudden out-pouring of God's grace on the day of Pentecost is that it was a very inclusive moment. Unlike other moments in the history of God's powerful interventions in human history - like Jesus' baptism or His transfiguration - where only a few people were witnesses of what happened, everyone was included at Pentecost. The tongues of fire come to rest upon each and every one of the disciples who were gathered together, and a moment later the crowd gathered outside the house comes surging forward because.....
...each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.
And just to make sure that we don’t miss His point, Luke lists all the diverse nations (with their different cultures and languages) who were represented there that day. What happened at Pentecost was no mystical, inner, personal experience of the Spirit. It was an outpouring of God's energy that touched every life that was present.
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit reminds us that we are able to minister in the Spirit’s power, able to live lives that reflect the holiness (purity) of God, and also able to share the love of God and accept everyone irrespective of language, culture or ethnicity.
May God grant us a fresh vision and taste of Pentecost.
Blessings, KERRYN
No comments:
Post a Comment