Peter, who denied he even knew Jesus, became the rock
on which Jesus would build his church. Here he speaks
with authority. Flanked by the apostles, he addresses the
crowd’s concern. No one among them is drunk. They have
never been more sober. He reports that at nine o’clock that
morning the Spirit hovered over them with tongues as of
fire, reformed them from within, and made them messengers
of the Most High. Not with his own words but with those
of the prophet Joel, Peter explains what happened. Let us
listen to this prophecy as if for the first time, personalizing
its declarations.
We may be young or old, male or female, slave or
free, Gentile or Jew and yet be designated by the Divine
as prophets who refuse to be satisfied with the status quo.
Life as we know it takes another turn. Nature itself records
the end of one era and the beginning of another. This
transformation will take us with Jesus from the agony in
the garden, through the scandal of the cross, to the glory of
Easter morn. Blood, sweat, fire, smoke, and mist—these and
other symbols of turmoil point to the change that earth and
its inhabitants are about to undergo. With the coming of the
Spirit, our salvation is at hand.
As the apostles receive a new start by the Holy Spirit, so
too must we become Pentecost people, shunning all projects
of self-salvation and letting God be God in our lives. Our
posture becomes one of abject humility, for only when we
bow down before the Most High and call upon God’s name
can we detach ourselves from all forms of idolatry and make
a radical commitment to charity.
By Susan Muto from The Upper Room: 60 Days of Prayer for General Conference 2016