For this reason, it depends on faith, so
that it may be a gift, and the promise may be guaranteed to all his
descendants, not to those who only adhere to the law but to those who follow
the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us, as it is written, I have made you father of
many nations. Romans 4:16-17A
"Everyone who speaks a word against the
Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven. When they take you before synagogues and
before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will
be or about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you
at that moment what you should say." Luke
12:10-12
Piety
God grant me the serenity to accept the
things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know
the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful
world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things
right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever
in the next. Amen. --Reinhold Niebuhr
Study
Sacred texts and holy books are filled with
inspiring writing. Yet connected to the lofty praise and prayer in
today's reading is perhaps one of the most serious condemnations uttered by
Jesus.
Even as he knows the fate of the cross that
his future holds, Jesus offers compassionate forgiveness for any act and any
word spoken against him. However, Jesus adds an important clause to
that forgiveness. "Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of
Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will
not be forgiven.
The Bible says in 1 John 1:9, "If we
acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse
us from every wrongdoing." (NAB) This verse, and many others that speak of
God's forgiveness, seem to be in contrast with Luke 12:10-12 and this concept
of an unforgivable sin. So what constitutes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit,
the eternal sin that can never be forgiven?
Could it be that rejection of Jesus' gift to
us is rejection of the Holy Spirit? Jesus, through his life, death
and resurrection ransomed for us eternal life. Our lives of piety,
study and action are intended for us to imitate that life and obtain what it
promises. However, what if we reject Christ's offer of salvation,
His free gift of eternal life, and thus, His forgiveness from sin. If we do not
accept His gift, we cannot be forgiven. If we refuse to open the door of our heart
to the Holy Spirit's so that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ, then
Jesus has no place to work in our lives. We cannot be forgiven if we
do not want to be forgiven.
Action
When there is a baptism, we meditate upon and
repeat our baptismal vows. We reject Satan and all his works and all
his empty promises.
Think of these empty promises and the
fulfillment of the promises of Christ as the alternative. What empty promises are likely to tempt you
today? Reject them and accept the gift of wisdom from the Holy
Spirit that allows you to tell the difference. May the ear of your
heart be enlightened so that the eye of your heart allows you to see the way to
walk with the Lord.
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