Genesis 11,1-9. Pentecost

Genesis 11,1-9           3221 

Pentecost 043

Desiderius, Bishop of Vienna, Martyr 608/12

Desiderius, Bishop of Langres, France. Martyr 262 or 411

23. Mai 2021

1. O Lord Jesus Christ, the Almighty Son of God: we beseech You, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts, through Your word, so that He may rule and govern us according to Your will, comfort us in every temptation and misfortune, and defend us by Your truth against every error, so that we may continue steadfast in the faith, increase in love and all good works, and firmly trusting in Your grace, which through death You have purchased for us, obtain eternal salvation.  Amen. (Veit Dietrich) 

2. »Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another: „Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.“ And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said: „Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.“ And Yahweh went down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And Yahweh said: „Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.“ So Yahweh dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused the language of all the earth. And from there Yahweh dispersed them over the face of all the earth.«  

3. The Tower of Babel and the Feast of Pentecost are good book ends: at Babel humanity spoke the same language, and at Pentecost a number of Mediterranean languages are mentioned. At Babel Yahweh judges with the law, and at Pentecost Yahweh forgives with the gospel.  

4. The Tower of Babel occurs not too long, several centuries, after Noah and his family leave the ark at Ararat. Peleg, the great-great-great grandson of Noah, was born shortly after the scattering at Babel; his name means divided. Peleg was born 400 years after the Flood. The people who settled in Shinar (southern Mesopotamia) wanted to consolidate their culture to the region and build a tower to make a name for themselves rather than disperse across the earth and be stewards of creation around the world. Yahweh was not pleased with this, for if they do this then what wicked things might they attempt next; before the Flood every thought of man was wicked and Yahweh did not want to see that history repeated. The people’s pride and revolt against Yahweh’s post-Flood instructions was their sin. So Yahweh confused their language and dispersed them over the earth.

5. Pentecost occurs 10 days after Jesus’ ascension. Those Jews who are dispersed throughout the vast Roman Empire have gather in Jerusalem to celebrate the festival. To these people of diverse languages, the Holy Spirit gifts the apostles the ability to preach the gospel to them. What could be a cause of division and misunderstanding is now unified and understood: they all hear about Christ crucified and resurrection. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out and the apostles prophesied (Acts 2,18). On this great and magnificent feast everyone, 3000 on that day alone, who calls upon the name of Jesus will be saved (Acts 2,21). Those nations whom Yahweh wants scattered He has drawn them together through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. 

6. Which language will we speak? That of Babel, a language of fear, or that of Pentecost, a language of love? Our sinful flesh wants to speak fearfully, never fully trusting that what God wants from us will ultimately bless us so we speak from our own sinful heart, with pride, to lift ourselves up. But our Christian spirit wants to speak lovingly, trusting that what God wants from us does indeed blesses us, for we have His promise: peace I leave with you (John 14,27). In Christ we are one people; there is neither Jew or Gentile, servant or free, male or female (Galatians 3,28), for we are all redeemed by His shed blood, baptized into His family and eternally saved. This was the gospel the apostles preached on that first post-Ascension Pentecost, and it is the gospel that the Church proclaims to this very day.  Amen. 

7. Let us pray. O Holy Spirit, the Comforter who brings peace; draw near, and fill the hearts of Your faithful, so that the fire of Your Divine Love is ignited within us.  Amen. 

To God alone be the Glory 

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2019 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. 

VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2020 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands.