WEDNESDAY AFTER CREATION 4
2 October 2013
Readings:
Key Verses (using the World English Bible):
2 Cor. 12:9: “[The Lord] has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you…’”
Matt. 12:32: Jesus said, “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.”
Reflection
“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
—Lord’s Prayer
What a stark contrast we have from last Wednesday’s readings! Last week, Jesus refused to condemn an unnamed and unknown disciple who cast demons out in Jesus’ name. “Whoever is not against us is on our side!”, Jesus declared. Not so today. Today, Jesus—whom we know, in whose name the Gospel is written—today, it is he who casts out a demon, and declares, “He who is not with me is against me.” And then Jesus makes a startling warning: “Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven… whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.”
Many reasons have been for the “unforgivable sin”. The principal one I’ve come across goes something like this:
One can blaspheme and speak against God the Father without sinning because no one has seen the Father except the Son (cf. John 6:46). One can blaspheme and speak against God the Son without sinning because Christ became a curse for us (Gal. 3:13). Furthermore, if you’ll pardon my slight ingress into “modalism” for simplicity’s sake, the Father created the world long before humans existed, and the Son redeemed it long before we were born. But the Spirit is God’s active grace and power in our world, in our lives, right now. You see, grace isn’t God’s only free gift. Jesus freely gave his disciples the Comforter, the Advocate, the One who would guide them after his ascension. And if you read through the “Acts of the Apostles”, you might think it would better be called the “Acts of the Holy Spirit.” The Spirit continues to guide us in much the same way. To speak against any of these things is, therefore, to deny God’s power, to ignore God’s direct and personal interventions in our own lives, to refuse his grace and love after having been given it.
I remember hearing this passage when I was a child, and it would make me a little uneasy, even a little afraid. How do I know if I’ve cursed the Holy Spirit? Is saying the words enough? If it’s unforgivable, what if I later realize the error of my ways? Is it too late?
But what if you read through the entire Bible? (After reading Acts, of course.) Page after page, verse after verse, you find a God who is never finished with his people. You find a story whose core is a God of infinite love, patience, and yes, forgiveness. The newly freed Israelites built a Golden Calf when they doubted God’s power. They “spoke against” God and Moses about the lack of food and water. Later on, at the time of the prophets, Israel again was seduced into idolatry, desecrated the holy days of God, and even began to abuse the marginalized of its own society. And through all of this, God surely meted out punishment. The earth swallowed up the calf-worshippers. Serpents bit and killed the unfaithful Israelites. God let Babylon defeat and exile Israel. But at no time does the Bible say that God just gave up and went off to find another nation, another people who was more faithful, more compassionate, more obedient. Even after being complicit in the death of Jesus, “all Israel will be saved”, says Paul to the Romans (11:26). No, God relented. God overlooked. God forgave.
Dear reader, God does not hold grudges. God is not easily offended. If blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is indeed unforgivable, I think it’ll be because we won’t be able to forgive ourselves after having committed it. After having cursed—and I mean, really cursed, repudiated from the heart and soul—everything that God stands for: unity, love, patience, goodness, selflessness, wisdom, light, peace, the list goes on—after having truly done this unthinkable thing, how could I forgive myself? We all know from experience that grudges against oneself are the hardest to overcome. But even then, there is still reason, not just to hope, but also to rejoice and be thankful.
“O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” (Ps. 136:1, NRSV)
“His anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime.” (Ps. 30:5)
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God,
you do not wish for the death of sinners,
but rather that they should turn from wickedness and live.
Forgive all those who truly repent,
and unfeignedly put their trust in your holy Word.
Grant us true repentance and your Holy Spirit.
May our present actions may please you.
May the rest of our life from now on
be more pure and holy,
so that at last we may enter your eternal joy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
—adapted from Christian Worship: Services for the Church: with Order of Vespers and Hymns, by Samuel Osgood (1862), itself adapted from the “Collect of Forgiveness” from the Book of Common Prayer (1662).
Hymn: “Forgive them, O my Father”
(Words: Cecil F. Alexander, in Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1875; adapted by Joseph A. Soltero, 2013
Tune: ‘Llangloffan’, Welsh melody from Hymnau a Thonau, by D. Evans, 1865)
“Forgive them, O my Father;
They know not what they do.”
The Savior spoke in anguish,
As iron-sharp nails went through.
He spoke no words of anger
To them that shed his blood,
But prayer and tend’rest pity,
Large as the love of God.
For me, that is compassion.
For me, it’s tender care.
I need his wide forgiveness
As much as any there.
For still my pride and hardness
Hang Jesus on that tree,
And sharper nails, O Savior,
Are driven in by me.
How often have I slighted
Your gentle voice that said:
“Forgive me too, Lord Jesus,
I knew not what I did.”
O depth of sweet compassion!
O love divine and true!
O save the souls that slight you,
And know not what they do.
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