Foreigners

“Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). Last Sunday, on the Day of Pentecost, we had yet another wonderful Persian-language Divine Service. My friend and colleague Rev. Marko Turunen officiated, and I gave the sermon on the Coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2), pointing out three miracles: that the Spirit of Jesus Christ Himself filled the hearers; that the Jews in attendance became Christians; and that people from every corner of the known world were able to hear the priest—officiating in Hebrew—in their own language. One thing that had jumped out at me as I was preparing my sermon, was the sequence of the people groups mentioned: “And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? *Parthians* and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia…Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:8-11). “Parthians” were a proto-form of Persians—the same people group we serve here in Germany. When I mentioned from the pulpit that their people held a prominent position in this historic event, many of our Iranians seemed to sit up straighter. Others nodded. After the sermon, I sat down. During a hymn, a parishioner tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to step into the narthex: “I brought a friend from Afghanistan to the service. As a foreigner, can he take Communion?” I had to chuckle at that question. I replied: “We’re basically *all* foreigners, Ali…Our real citizenship is in heaven… Is your friend baptized?” “No,” he answered. I added, “It’s terrific that you brought him. If he wishes, he can go forward and receive a blessing.” Which is exactly what happened. That morning we witnessed a fourth miracle of Pentecost—some 2,000 years later: this Afghan, who had never been in a church, was able to hear in his own language that Jesus Christ died for him and if he repents and is baptized (Acts 2:38), he will receive eternal life.