Tuesday in Lent 2: An eternal sin?

Opening Sentence

To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, because we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by following the laws which he has set before us. Daniel 9:9, 10

Collect of the Day

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalter: Psalm 61, 62

Lessons: Genesis 42:1-17, 1 Corinthians 5:1-8, Mark 3:19-35

Jesus was healing many and driving out demons, but "the scribes who came down from Jerusalem" were not impressed, claiming, "'He is possessed by Beelzebul' and 'by the prince of demons he casts out demons.'" Not only was this claim callous, it was also perilous, placing these self-proclaimed religious know-it-alls in danger of eternal separation from God. For Jesus warns them that "all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin."

What was it which these scribes said which placed them outside the forgiveness of God? What was their "eternal sin?" Jesus said this to them, according to Mark, because "they had said, 'He has an unclean spirit.'" They had witnessed, before their very eyes, the power of the Holy Spirit at work in Jesus, bringing healing and deliverance. Yet, they attributed all this to "the prince of demons."

Is the "eternal sin" of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as simple as this? Is it merely an outward act, a careless word spoken out of ignorance or hard-heartedness? Did the scribes' real sin involve only the words of their mouths, or did it involve the attitude of their hearts? Were not their careless words merely a manifestation of a callous attitude which so clouded their perception that they could not even acknowledge, much less glorify, God even when the power of his Holy Spirit was on display right before their very eyes?

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an unforgivable, "eternal sin" not because of any failure on God's part to forgive "all sins" committed by "the children of men and whatever blasphemies they utter." Rather, the one who "blasphemes against the Holy Spirit has no forgiveness" because such forgiveness is not desired. The merciful, forgiving, and healing God revealed in and through Jesus Christ is a total stranger to such a person, so much so that he is unable to give God all the glory, but instead gives the devil all the credit.

(JAG)

Please Forgive Them