Thursday 26 June 2025

Psalm 119:9-16

Background
This passage is aboutd the confusion of the Day of Pentecost. The disciples are miraculously speaking in numerous languages to the crowds in the city for the Jewish festival. Some think the disciples must be drunk and others are just confused about what is happening. So Peter fronts up and starts to explain what is happening. He is keen to dismiss the accusation of being drunk. His point that it's only nine in the morning (v. 15) doesn’t totally exclude this possibility, although we note that in those days many Jews didn’t eat or drink before 9am.

The core thing Peter is saying to the Jewish crowd is that what is happening is what Jews have been longing for. The prophet Joel is quoted extensively as the previous indication that something like this was going to happen, and now people can see this before their very eyes. It's an argument that shows God at work is supernatural, rational, our present experience and part of our tradition. When we start to think through what is happening, it makes a lot more sense than we thought. God is consistent – what we were told would happen is now happening. It's both new and also part of our tradition.

The prophet Joel stresses that God’s Spirit comes on all people: young and old, men and women. Somehow this is part of our tradition for thousands of years and yet it's still a bit radical and not fully part of our life. God’s work is universal, even if we are slow to completely recognise this. And the prophet ends with the wonderful declaration that all can respond to God’s love and grace and find healing, wholeness and salvation.

All means all. Within the Methodist Church tradition there has been a focus on God’s love being available to all without exception and that all are welcome. This is a message for the ages and for today. All are welcome and all can find a place in God’s family. All.

To Ponder:

• What parts of Church tradition do you wish we could rediscover today?
• What parts of Church tradition are you glad that we have left in the past?

Prayer
Gracious God, your love is overwhelming and through the Holy Spirit your reach is universal. We thank you that we are included. We pray that we might be part of helping more discover this. Amen.

Bible notes author: The Revd Dr Stephen Skuce
Stephen is the Superintendent of the North Western District of The Methodist Church in Ireland.