On this day of prayer for the legal protection of unborn children, we’re reminded of the temptation to doubt God.
In today’s gospel, the scribes from Jerusalem were considered more respected than the Pharisees. And so, it was significant for them to make a claim that Jesus was both possessed by the devil and using Satan’s power to drive out demons.
The Rebuttal of Jesus
Jesus refutes their claims by using parables to set the record straight.
- In the first, Jesus likens Satan to the ruler of a kingdom or house. Why would someone work against their own interest, it would be self-defeating. Therefore, why would Satan allow his power through Jesus to work to drive out demons?
- Next, Jesus uses the analogy of a burglary to teach about what He is doing. Satan is seen as the strong man who guards his possessions, meaning Satan has possessed human beings by capturing their souls. The only way to set these captured souls free is first to tie up the strong man. It is Jesus who has come to do this for us.
- Finally, Jesus addresses the claim that He is possessed by the Beelzebul, another name for Satan. Jesus begins by saying that all sins are forgivable, even blasphemies. This would have caught people’s attention since blasphemies involve sin against God.
Still, Jesus says that those can be forgiven, but there is one type of sin that is unforgivable, and that is to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. Jesus, just like my Dominican seminary professor, Father Romanus, means to get our attention.
What is the Unforgivable Sin?
So, the question is: what does it mean to sin against the Holy Spirit? Within this gospel, it relates to a person who refuses to recognize the action of God and even says that the work of the Holy Spirit is of Satan. A person who takes this position is defiantly closing off their mind, heart, and soul to the Holy Spirit’s intended healing and conversion. This is what Jesus is warning the scribes and anyone else about. This is why it is the most serious and damning blasphemy and why Jesus wants us to avoid even drifting toward it.
St. John Paul II wrote that sin against the Holy Spirit is not a matter of words but actions. He said, “It is the sin committed by the person who claims to have the right to persist in evilꟷin any sin at allꟷand who thus rejects Redemption.” (The Gospel of Mark, Mary Healy p. 78)
Open to Redemption
My brothers and sisters, most people know someone or perhaps have even gone through times of indifference or presumption in terms of our outlook on our eternal life. Some have even despaired, believing that even God could not save them or a loved one.
Jesus offers us a stern warning yet with incredible hope ... that no matter how difficult life may get, we will always leave our hearts, minds and souls open to the Lord and the healing presence of the Holy Spirit.
Let us pray for one another as we remember to pray for the rights of the unborn in the United States and around the world!
As we pray, Come, Holy Spirit!
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