As we approach the feast of Pentecost this coming Sunday, our readings lead us to reflect on how the Spirit intervenes in gathering the Church. In today’s Gospel (John 16:29-33), Jesus predicts that the disciples will fall apart under pressure and abandon Him, despite their very vocal professions of faith right now. Jesus tells them not to worry about their impending lapses. He promises them that He will not leave them alone. After all, He tells them, He Himself is not alone. He tells them that the Father is always with Him. He promises that the Father will send his Spirit to be with them, too.
It would seem, from reading these words, that we can believe in Jesus without the Holy Spirit, but that there is no way that we can live into the truth of Jesus if the Spirit is not actively moving within us. Despite their belief, the disciples are powerless to move beyond their weakness. We know from the rest of the story that the “scattering” that Jesus predicted soon happens.
A similar insight comes to us in Acts. Today’s reading (Acts 19:1‑8) reminds us of the profoundly Jewish context that characterized the earliest Christian experience. As was his habit, Paul preached the good news about Jesus in synagogues, where he frequently received a poor reception. The details of Paul’s relationship with his co-religionists need not detain us here, but it is interesting to note that on this particular day, at least some members of that community were interested in hearing more. Like the disciples in the gospel of John, they were prepared to believe in Jesus. In fact, they were already believers, but they were believers without power, and they were believers without knowledge. They were, in a way, like the Apostles had been in that small fishing boat adrift on the rough seas. But when they received the baptism of the Spirit, immediately they began to speak in tongues and prophesy (remember that “speaking in tongues” is not speaking unintelligible words but speaking in such a way that everyone understands what is being said, even in their own language). They moved from mere belief into the power of the gospel. They were able, really for the first time, to live the Christian life.
I am personally challenged by these stories. Belief in Jesus does not appear to be enough to propel a person to discipleship. Without the Holy Spirit, we do not receive God’s commission. Our belief is unfocused and ineffective. How many people in our own Christian communities are in this exact situation – they believe, but they have never heard the Holy Spirit. Perhaps we can recover some of the boldness of Paul and invite those among us, who believe in Christ but do not know how to follow him, into a deeper experience of the transforming power of his Spirit.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!