PENTECOST SUNDAY 2022

 

PENTECOST, 05 JUNE 2022

Indicative:

We celebrate the great feast of Pentecost.It marks the unique day when the Holy Spirit descends and fills the receivers with power. 

1. In fact, this was the promise of Jesus. As Jesus was leaving the earth at the completion of his human mission, he repeatedly comforted his disciples that he would not leave them as orphans that he would send them the Holy Spirit.  Thus he assured them his continued presence through the Spirit. 

2. Therefore, the descent of the Holy Spirit is the greatest assurance and sign of God’s own presence, guidance, and power. Pentecost is the initiation of this great outpouring of the Spirit. It is the beginning of a new era, a new time of the Spirit, a new mode of living, walking by the Spirit, living in the realm of the Spirit.

3.  In recent times, there is certainly so much revival, vigor, and enthusiasm, which are all concrete signs of the power of the Spirit. But beware! There is always the danger to limit the Holy Spirit only to these external demonstrations and expressions. Holy Spirit is not only some eloquent preaching, some animated and moving prayers, some evocative intercessions, some touching devotion, some powerful healing, some impressing gift of tongue, some happening prophesying, a great mass appeal and gathering huge crowds.

4. Certainly, as the Spirit is powerful and vivacious, it can have such great external impacts. But the sad thing is, the Spirit is so much confined only to these factors, so much domesticated only to these, so much so that only some groups claim to be charismatic groups, filled by the Spirit, and the others are labelled as ordinary mortals, or only some prayer modes are Spirit-powered modes, and the other prayer ways are just the ordinary. 

5.  We see in all this, two unhappy tendencies: reduction and arrogance. That is, reducing the Holy Spirit ultimately to powerful preaching and wonders, and also nurturing a disguised spiritual pride of possessing the Spirit to use it at one’s liking.

6. And the greatest sad effect of such tendencies is, a failure to renew life. In other words, there is so much demonstration of the power of the Spirit in different spiritual activities, but hardly any real change in concrete life. The power of the Spirit is predominantly restricted to the spiritual zone, with no inflow into the daily life zone. This creates a wide gap and abyss between spiritual power and success but actual weakness and value failure. 

7. The whole issue is that these spiritual activities and powers do not guarantee a good and holy life. Just listen to how clearly Jesus brings to attention this fact: “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not speak in your name? Did we not cast out devils and perform many miracles in your name? Then I will tell them openly: I have never known you; away from me, you evil people!” (Mt 7. 22-23).

8. Therefore we must sincerely question and see: How much the power of the Spirit is challenging and changing my weaknesses? How much the spiritual illumination to cite many quotations, enlightens and guides me and us for the right thoughts, attitudes, decisions, and actions? How much the expertise and eloquence of preaching the Word leads to practice the Word in real life? How much the Spirit makes us grow in honesty, in patience, in unity, in generosity, in purity, in holiness, in serenity, in self-control – this is the whole issue.

9. Claiming to be filled and empowered by the Spirit but living exactly contrary to the fruits of the Spirit, in grudges and resentments, in needless tensions and disturbances, in anger and impatience, in dishonesty and cheating, in impurity and malice, in criticism and slander, in indifference and selfishness, in greed and grabbing, in division and discrimination, in pride and false dignity, in self-glory and cheap popularity – is this the Holy Spirit? What kind of Spirit this is? Great display of the gifts of the Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 12. 4-11)! But where is the witness to the fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5. 22-23). 

Imperative: 

Let us not limit the Holy Spirit. Let us not drain his power. Let us not dilute his role. Let us not tame him to suit our convenience and advantage. Let us not privatize him to project and promote self-glory.