Sermon 5th June 2022 – Pentecost Sunday
Text: Acts 2:1-21 – Healing or
hurting Words
There is the old saying that
“the pen is mightier than the sword”. Often we associate that saying with harm
that can be done through the words we speak or write. A sword can cause
physical injury – even death. But that’s the end of it. A person can even heal
from the physical injury. Words, however, can go on forever and can be
difficult to heal. The words we speak and write don’t go away. They go on in
memories and they go on in history.
In the Old Testament the sword
was the main means of the people of God. Israel would go out and defeat their
enemies with many times the instruction being to take no prisoner as the enemy
was put to the sword.
What we see at Pentecost and
the New Testament Church is a shift of power and authority from the sword to
the Word. In the first instance we see this with the birth of Jesus that he is
the Word of God made flesh.
In the beginning was the Word
– the Word was with God and the Word was God; the word became flesh and dwelt
with us. So that is the first power shift – God’s Word coming to dwell with us
in human form.
At his Ascension Jesus
commissions his disciples with authoritative Words: “All authority in heaven
and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and teaching them – use your words - to obey everything I have
commanded you. The Word, again, becoming the central means by which God will
now achieve his purpose for the world – not the sword. Last week we also heard
at the Ascension that the word was what the disciples were commissioned with. Go
to all nations proclaiming repentance and forgiveness of sins. Proclaiming –
the word. God’s power and authority revealed in words – I forgive you all your
sins.
Likewise today, it is the word
that is central to the church’s mission – we call it “Word and Sacrament”
ministry. The Sacraments – Baptism and Holy Communion – are God’s Word in
action. As Luther reminded us – how can water achieve such great things – it is
not water alone but water together with God’s Word
Likewise with Holy Communion –
how can eating and drinking achieve such great things – it is not the eating
and drinking but believing these words – given and shed for me for the
forgiveness of sins.
Today, on the day of Pentecost
we hear God give power to the Word as the Holy Spirit comes, as promised. “Divided
tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
languages, as the Spirit gave them ability”. So now, filled with the Holy
Spirit, the disciples are able to proclaim God’s Word with boldness with
immediate effect. And so we hear that after Peter’s sermon the people react to
his words - When the people heard his words, they were cut to the heart and
said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
We too have been given the
boldness to speak God’s Word. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians: We are therefore
Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. As if
God were speaking through us.
The words we use are powerful.
And they are powerful to heal or to hurt. They can cut to the heart or they can
heal the heart. And as we see with Peter, sometimes a word is needed to cut to
the heart just as a surgeon’s scalpel needs to cut deep in order to heal. But
sometimes the hurt is already there and what is needed is the word to heal even
when we might think a word of judgement is needed. Like the woman caught in
adultery. She had her accusers – the Pharisees had caught her and applied the
Law of Moses. She was hurt.
Jesus uses a word – not
against her but against her accusers. Whoever of you is without sin may cast
the first stone. They were cut to the heart. They dropped their stones and
walked away. As they leave Jesus uses a word to heal her – to heal her heart –
neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more. Words to hurt her had already
been applied – now words of healing were required.
As we look at our society
today we are hearing more and more of the hurt people are carrying. The pain
they are bearing. The heaviness of heart particularly in this post lockdown
era. We hear of victim blaming a person rather than healing being offered. At
Pentecost God sent to us his Holy Spirit. As we read about the work of God
through the Holy Spirit, just listen to some examples: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts
us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the
comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3,4). From today’s
Gospel - I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help
you and be with you forever. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I
do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and
do not let them be afraid.
I find it sad that often the
general public usually see the church in 2 ways. They either see us as
moralistic – we judge and condemn. Or they see us as a charity. In times of
need they will come to us for physical support.
Now that’s not a bad thing. It’s
part of what we do. But what about the spiritual work? The spiritual healing?
Think of the Beatitudes:
“Blessed are the poor in
spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they
will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for
they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
That work, as Paul says –
highlights that we are children of God, heirs to the eternal Kingdom of God. That
everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. In John’s version of
the coming of the Holy Spirit he shows that the work of the Holy Spirit is the
work of peace: Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am
sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy
Spirit.
And it’s a peace that comes
through them proclaiming forgiveness of sins with God.
The words we use are powerful.
Isaiah says about the Word of God we speak: my word that goes out from my mouth
will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the
purpose for which I sent it. So let us be aware of the words we speak – that
they are healing words. Let us take the advice of James - My dear brothers and
sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak. As
the old saying goes – you can’t unring a bell – likewise you can’t unsay words
that have caused hurt. If there is conviction needed then the Holy Spirit will
do that work also. In fact there are plenty of people outside of the church to
do that work – especially Satan, the Accuser.
Let us remember on this
Pentecost Day, the Holy Spirit is our comforter so we can bring comfort to
others.
And no greater comfort comes
that knowing all my sins are forgiven as I call on the name of the Lord and be
saved.
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