Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops

Gospel 

Mark 3:22-30

The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus, 
“He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and
“By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”

Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, 
“How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself, 
that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, 
he cannot stand; 
that is the end of him.
But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property 
unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can plunder his house. 
Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies 
that people utter will be forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit 
will never have forgiveness, 
but is guilty of an everlasting sin.”
For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.” 

 

The Scribes blasphemed by calling the Spirit within Jesus, the Holy Spirit, unclean. They spoke irreverently about God and in doing so sinned grievously.

 

But it was their continued rejection of Jesus through the Holy Spirit working in them that was their unforgivable sin.

 

In essence, the unforgivable sin is being perpetually unrepentant. To sin which is a turning away from God, and never asking for forgiveness and acceptance puts one in a state of unforgiveness. To die in that state would of course result in being unforgiven and to live apart from God forever in eternal life. For it was our choice to be apart from God.

 

God gives us what we choose as part of our free will.

 

Today most people in our country have heard the good news. Some who hear the good news but do not completely surrender their life to Jesus, recognizing he is the author of life and the way to salvation – are choosing to keep God at arms length while focusing on the world around them. They worship the created and not the creator. And if they persisted in this state of being and never listened to the Holy Spirit, never said yes to the Spirit calling them to turn back, never repented they would have committed the sin of never asking for forgiveness.

 

God will not force his will on us. The Holy Spirit will not be able to help us if we say no to his Word.

 

So, my friends, the danger for most people today is the choosing something else over God. Of not accepting Jesus Christ as the Son of God and denying the Holy Spirit who seeks us out and advocates for us.

 

What is first in our life today. Let us all do everything for Christ, always listening to the Holy Spirit call us closer to Jesus and his teachings.

 

Are we putting God first in our life. Can we say we love him with all our heart, soul, and mind? Do we love others as ourselves?

 

These two sum up all the Ten Commandments and are the basis of how we are to live.