Power from Above
Apparently there is a strange teaching in the Bible. Human calculation is, to succeed in war one has to depend on army and weapons. But Bible says: "It is not on the size of the army that victory in battle depends, but the strength comes from heaven"(I Mac. 3, 19). That is: we have to depend on the power of God and not human. Victory does not depend on the size of the army, arms etc., but is from God. This is the clear teaching through out the Bible.
The fight between David and Goliath teaches that the human power is not the deciding and decisive factor in the victory in a battle. Humanly speaking it was next to impossible for David to fight with Goliath "...whose height was six cubits and a span... weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze... his spear's head weighed 600 shekels of iron" (I Sam. 17, 4-7). We would wonder how David would dare to encounter such a figure! But from his experience David knew that all the power comes from God. With this power from Above, we know that David defeated the gigantic Goliath.
The Lord, through prophet Isaiah speaks: "those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not weary, they shall walk and not faint"(40, 31). That is those who depend on God will receive so much strength which will not exhaust them.
Jesus, before His ascension, said to His Apostles: "... stay in the city that you have been clothed with power from on high"(Lk. 24, 49b). To receive power from above is the will of God. There is always temptation to depend on human power. The Apostles were aware of it having Jesus with them for three years.
After Pentecost, we know the drastic change in the Apostles. They received power from Above which, so to say, changed the history of mankind. It is very evident that it was not because of their power but it was the power from Above. This is the reason St. Peter said to the people who were wonderstruck after the healing of the crippled beggar: "You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?"(Acts. 3, 12). The illiterate men conquered the world, surely not with their power.
St. Paul was aware of this power. That is why he said: "I can do all things who strengthens me" (Phil. 4, 13). He was convinced, while laying on the ground on the way to Damascus, that by himself he could do nothing. What he could not do before his encounter with Jesus and the Holy Spirit experience he could do it after the encounter. He realized that the conversions, miracles etc., were beyond his power.
The feast of Pentecost invites and reminds us that we, as human beings should always depend on the Power from Above. May the Holy Spirit strengthen us all.