Scripture Scribbles: May 19, 2024
the Gospel
John 20:19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, "Peace be with you."
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained."
the devotion
Pentecost Sunday. From the Greek word “pentekoste”, Pentecost means fiftieth. Hence, we celebrate Pentecost Sunday fifty days after Easter Sunday.
This significant event in the history of the church is also a commemoration of the descent of the Holy Spirit. I could go on and on about the history and details of Pentecost, but this will be so easy because of Google, chatgpt, AIs, and other research tools. Instead, I want to highlight the descent of the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus breathed on His apostles, not only did He bestow the Holy Spirit on them. God was so generous because the Holy Ghost comes with several special gifts. It’s a complete package with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control as the fruits of the Spirit. The Spirit of God dwelt among Jesus’ followers and they truly received the Spirit. When they lived in the Spirit and vice-versa, their examples mostly, if not perfectly, reflected Jesus himself who embodied love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and many other virtues.
For us Christians, aside from the gifts of the Holy Spirit, embracing the Spirit also means having the courage to do what is right instead of choosing what is wrong. Do our brothers and sisters see this courage in us? Moreover, do we choose what is good over what is evil? It’s not always that easy, is it?
How often do we acknowledge the Holy Spirit in our lives? Do we include the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives such as in making minor or major decisions, in dealing with very difficult people, in taking accountability for our mistakes, in telling the truth, and in many other instances?
If I’m being honest, I sometimes forget the Holy Spirit. Thankfully, the Bible and the church constantly remind us of it and its fruits. The Holy Ghost was mentioned in the Bible so many times. But these two verses struck me the most:
The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you. (John 14:26) and
In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. (Romans 8:26)
The Spirit is so powerful that it could teach us and remind us everything that Jesus told His apostles. How could we ever lose our way? We can relax and rest assured that we have our constant guide as long as we call on the Spirit.
The Spirit is so helpful to also assist us, to intercede for us in our prayers. How could we ever not know what to pray for? If we’re ever at a loss, we can acknowledge the Spirit. We can always end our prayers with: “we ask these in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Like the rest of us, I will always need the Holy Spirit. I heard this from a local priest, tried it, and it works all the time: CHS.com. I turn to CHS.com. Come, Holy Spirit. CHS.
Today, please come, Holy Spirit, because I can’t live without your intervention. I can’t be any closer to Jesus and to God just on my own. Please come, Holy Spirit, because like the apostles, I am not perfect. I have fears and shortcomings. Please come, Holy Spirit. I need you. Come in your own special way.
Today’s devotion was written by Edwina Yu
