June 7, 2015 Pentecost 2

Mark 3:20-35

20 And the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, "He has gone out of his mind." 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons." 23 And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27 But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. 28 "Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"— 30 for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit." 31 Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you." 33 And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" 34 And looking at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

In the middle of this text Jesus drops a bomb.  We have to say a word about that before we get here what else he has to say.

What ever Jesus means about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit - a sin which cannot be forgiven -  this is for sure: anyone who fears they have committed it haven’t.
It is a sin which happens when we believe we are right so strongly that we are not open to any other thought or any other possibility. We are not even open to the Holy Spirit having something different to say to us and through us. It is not letting anything – even the spirit of God which blows over us and through us like the wind - or change are closed mind and heart.

It is a reminder that a totally closed mind and heart are headed on a dead end street.

As we struggle with faith, hope, and love in our lives we need the encouragement which comes from the promise of forgiveness, not the threat of condemnation. The God (Jesus) I meet in the New Testament is a God who would rather forgive then condemn, and doesn't like the unforgivable sin any more than we do.

Having said this, we can listen to Jesus's words about a divided kingdom that is sure to fail and the true kingdom which won’t fail for all are brothers and sisters.

Dare we say yet,? Jesus words regarding a divided kingdom remind us of what is happening in our country right now. It is no way to live in our earthly kingdom and no way to live in the kingdom of God.

We are called to live in harmony, letting the Spirit of goodness, mercy and respect lead us to decisions which must be made for the good of all for we are family!  And only as we live as family will we be able to stand, and standing, be a blessing to others.