Sermon - Pentecost 2020 - John 14:23-31

At Babel, some thousands of years ago, the Lord cursed man by separating and dividing us from one another. “Come,” said the Lord, “let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” This curse caused man to disperse from one another, and it persists still to this day. 

In some ways the curse of Babel is worse than the flood, since the flood only killed one generation, but the confusion of language has harmed man for every generation since Babel. It’s divided us into races and nations and cultures and states. Even among those who share the same language, and even the same house, our language has been confused and communication rendered difficult among even the best of relations. Many a misunderstanding has resulted in terrible feuds between friends, now rivals.

This separation and division among man is not a good thing. As evidenced in the creation account, it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone, but he required the company of another who complemented and made him whole. Not only is the togetherness of family a divine blessing, but so is comradery among friends. We see for example Abraham and Lot, David and Jonathan, Jesus and His apostles, and Paul and Barnabas. 

We need the company of others, as Solomon so wisely explained: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” It’s only a lie from Satan which says otherwise.

In our socially distant age, of mandated separation and distancing between family, friends, and church, we need to be frequently reminded that separation and distance among man is a curse. So the great blessing at Pentecost is the reversal of that curse! Fifty days after Easter, ten after the Ascension, the Holy Ghost descended upon the disciples that Sunday, and bade their tongues: speak! These simple fishermen spoke of “the mighty works of God,” the Gospel of Christ, and the redemption of man, and thus the Spirit broke down the curse of Babel through the Gospel.

The Holy Spirit is still working today to destroy the curse of Babel in our lives as well. Today, on the Feast of Pentecost, we celebrate that the Spirit dispels turmoil and timidity, and restores peace and courage through the word of Christ. 

It’s important to note that the primary instrument of the Holy Spirit to do His work is the tongue. There weren’t flaming scrolls, books, or screens above the disciples’ heads, but tongues! The means by which the Holy Spirit works is through the word of Christ, spoken by men in plain language. 

It’s no coincidence that we have church on Sunday mornings in which we gather to hear the Word of God spoken by a pastor in our own language. That is precisely what happened on Pentecost: “they were all together in one place,” speaking as the Spirit gave them utterance of the mighty works of God. It’s nice to have the Word of God available in books, on the radio, TV, or internet; but nothing trumps gathering together to hear God’s Word spoken by one who has been called by God to speak it.

The Spirit not only works through the one speaking the Word, but particularly the Spirit works through the one who hears the Word and keeps it! Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.”

This is remarkable and worth pondering! The curse at Babel divided and separated us by giving us many languages. But the blessing at Pentecost gathers us together by giving us one language, namely the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Word of God! Thus, the one who hears God’s Word and keeps it, is beloved of God and God then makes His home with them! You who hear God’s Word and keep it are God’s beloved people and He makes His home with you. 

Do you see what this means?! Since God makes His home with those who keep His Word, it means that all who keep His Word are together! Across all time and space, we may look differently, sound differently, live differently, and think differently, but so long as we keep the Word of God nothing can separate us because we are together in Christ. 

Don’t be mistaken, just saying we’re united or the same doesn’t make it so. Just because we’re Christians, or Lutherans, or Missouri Synod, or from the same town, that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re united. The only thing that unites us together, breaking the curse at Babel, is the gift of faith from the Holy Spirit to keep God’s Word purely and unadulterated.

The curse at Babel and the separation among people led to confusion in the heart, turmoil between people, and fearful timidity. But all of that was reversed at Pentecost for you, since Christ sent the Holy Spirit. “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” 

What does that Word of God, spoken by the Spirit, leave us with? “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” The gift of God making His home with us in the Spirit is peace. Not the ordinary temporary kind of peace, brought about by health and prosperity; that kind of peace always goes away after a while, especially when nearing death. The peace that Christ gives to us is unusual and much more valuable.

The confusion at Babel makes the heart confused, but the peace of Christ sorts all that confusion out. One of our slogans lately is: “these are confusing times.” And I suppose it is a little bit, but not a whole lot more than usual. Sure the supposed experts all have differing opinions, so you don’t know who to believe; but that’s the way of the world after Babel. The truth of Pentecost however is that the Lord our God is one, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. His will and desire for you is agreed, that you would repent and believe the Gospel so as to live eternally! 

Turmoil among man is common in our day, and has been ever since the Fall. And it’s true that Jesus hasn’t come to bring peace, but a sword. “For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.” But that division is only the case when the Word of God isn’t kept and the curse at Babel reigns in people’s hearts. The Word of God cuts through all of the lies, exposes the false beliefs in everyone’s hearts, no one is spared. But when all repent and keep the Word of God, turmoil is left behind so that the brethren may dwell together in unity.

Finally, the curse at Babel resulted in a great deal of fearful cowardly timidity. When everything is confused and you don’t know what to think or believe, and saying any little thing results in turmoil, you begin to shrink away from anything and everything. But the peace of Christ, by the Holy Spirit, commands our hearts not to fear! 

In some ways this fruit of peace, this not fearing but being courageous, is one of the defining characteristics of a Christian. This peace filled Christ’s heart as He spoke these words on the night when He was betrayed. He acknowledged, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming.” Behold the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. I am about to be killed in the cruelest fashion as a public spectacle. Yet, Christ still courageously says, “Rise, let us go from here.” Let us go to the garden of my betrayal. Let us go to the cross.

That same courageous peace fills the heart of every Christian when death is swiftly approaching! The disciples gladly preached the Word of God knowing full well that it would earn them the same treatment Christ received. The martyrs of Abitinae gathered together willingly even under threat of death, and were martyred because they wouldn’t go without the sacrament. St. Paul faced threat of death many times and still was undeterred, unafraid of death knowing the hope that awaited him in heaven.

The same is true for you, dear believer. The mighty work of God is that you have been redeemed from your sin by Christ and set free from the curses of Babel and death. The Holy Spirit has entered into your heart and declared to you this day the Word of God from the tongue of your lowly pastor. By faith you will keep this Word of God. Now in the face of death you will be at peace and walk forward with courage, freed from the shackles of confusion, turmoil. and timidity. “For God has not given us the Spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”