Key Verse: "I tell you the truth, all the sins and
blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the
Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin."
Mark 3:28-29
A house divided cannot stand. A bad tree cannot bear good
fruit and a good tree cannot bear bad fruit. Jesus was being accused of doing
Satan's work. Healing and teaching are satan's work? To us, the accusation
sounds ludicrous. However, that demonstrates for us the power of jealousy and
religious zeal. Nothing, not even seeing with their own eyes, was going to get
in between themselves and their traditions and preset convictions. Truly, the
closed mind can be a dangerous thing.
Even when Jesus points out the truth that any soldier knows,
that if you divide and fight among yourselves, the war is lost, yet even that
practical fact would not change their minds. It is this closed mindedness that
causes Jesus to issue His warning against the unpardonable sin, blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit.
The Lord longs to forgive, but He will not force His offer
of forgiveness upon a sinner. It is necessary for the sinner to have an open
mind about his or her sins, to be able to confess those sins, repent and then
ask for the forgiveness that is so readily available. Remember, "He who
asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be
opened." (Matt. 7:8) However, a closed minded person won't ask. They don't
think that they need it because they are sufficient in themselves. Forgiveness
cannot be given if it is not asked for.
The Pharisees thought that they had all that they needed to
know God. They had their religious understanding of works not grace. Jesus
threatened their belief system so he had to be demonized. We need to be
cautious of our religious convictions. They deserve to be examined, especially
if they just may be blocking our view of Jesus and our understanding of who and
what He truly is.
Hymn: Holy Spirit
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