2.24.2015
Tuesday of Lent 1 Mark 3:20-35 The unforgivable sin
The unforgivable sin is blaspheming
against the Holy Spirit. The scribes accuse Jesus of being possessed by and
being an instrument of the devil. His family considers Him crazy. Both family
and religious leaders misunderstand Jesus. To accuse Jesus of having an evil
spirit is to commit the unpardonable sin. It is a sin of failing to see in
Jesus the presence of the Holy Spirit who gives Him power and authority to cast
out demons. Those who do God’s will have a spirit akin to His.
God sets the solitary in families. Jesus
had two families. The one, based on physical relationships, did not understand
nor appreciate Him. His mother, brothers, and sisters thought that he wass out
of His mind and came to take Him home. They were embarrassed and ashamed of
Him. Jesus’ other family has a spiritual relationship. He is son and brother to
all who do the will of God. Only if we do God’s will can we claim that Jesus is
our elder brother.
While His family thought He was mentally
off balance, the religious leaders claimed Jesus was “possessed” of the devil.
As such they argued He was able to cast our demons. Jesus answered this
argument by saying that if this were so, Satan’s house would be divided with
internal conflict. In that case, his evil kingdom could not stand.[2]
This is a broken world. We are living
outside of Eden. Evil powers still exist. We need to discern and distinguish
between what is of God and what is of the Devil. The marks of the influence of
the Devil are easy to recognize. He works with the strange notion that people
consider what is good to be evil and what is evil, good. The Devi’s end goal is
despair and death. “We wrestle not
against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers in this world”.
By ourselves, we cannot cope. But God is at work to restore, redeem and save
through the work of His Son. He breached the wall of Satan’s kingdom when He
healed, raised the dead, and drove out demons. He breaks Satan’s power. He is
victorious over sin, death, and the devil through His death and glorious
resurrection.
Grant to your people,
Lord, grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh ad the devil,
and with pure hearts and minds to follow you, the only True God; through Jesus
Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
forever and ever. Amen.[3]
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