GOSPEL READING:
Luke 12:8-128 "And I tell you, every one who acknowledges me before men, the Son of man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; 9 but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 And every one who speaks a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you are to answer or what you are to say; 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."
Meditation: What is the unforgivable sin which Jesus
warns us to avoid? Jesus knows that his disciples will be tested
and he assures them that the Holy Spirit will give them what they
need in their time of adversity and temptation. He warns them,
however, that it's possible to reject the grace of God - his
favor, blessing, and help - and to fall into apostasy - giving up
our faith and loyalty to Jesus Christ out of fear (being a
coward), pride, or disbelief (refusing to believe and trust in the
Lord Jesus). The scriptural expression to deny someone
means to disown them - to have nothing to do with them
anymore.
Do not reject the gift and help of the Holy Spirit
Jesus also speaks against blaspheming the Holy Spirit. What is
blasphemy and why is it reprehensible (extremely bad and deserving
severe rebuke)? Blasphemy consists in uttering against God,
inwardly or outwardly, words of hatred, reproach, or defiance.
It's contrary to the honor and respect we owe to God (who is our
Father, Creator, and Savior) and to his holy name. Jesus speaks of
blaspheming against the Holy Spirit as the unforgivable sin.
Jesus spoke about this sin immediately after the scribes and
Pharisees had attributed his miracles to the work of the devil
instead of to God.
Do you trust in God's help and deliverance?
A sin can only be unforgivable if repentance (admitting wrongdoing
and asking forgiveness) is impossible. If someone repeatedly
closes his or her heart to God and shuts their ear to his voice,
they come to a point where they can no longer recognize God even
when God makes his word and presence known to them. Such a person
ends up perceiving evil as good and good as evil (Isaiah 5:20). To
fear such a sin, however, signals that one is not dead to God and
is conscious of the need for God's merciful help and strength.
There are no limits to the mercy of God, but we can reject his
mercy by refusing to ask God's pardon for our wrongdoing and by
refusing to accept the help he gives us to turn away from sin and
from whatever would keep us from doing his will. God gives
sufficient grace (his favor and mercy towards us) and he gives
sufficient help (his wisdom and strength) to all who humbly call
upon him. Giving up on God and refusing to turn away from sin and
disbelief results from our own sinful pride, stubborn will, and
the loss of hope in God's promises.God never turns a deaf ear to
those who seek his help and listen to his voice - his word of
hope, pardon, and freedom from sin and oppression.
Our hope and confidence come from God
What is the basis of our hope and confidence in God? It is the
free gift of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave his
life for our sake and who now intercedes for us at the right hand
of the throne of God's mercy (Hebrews 4:14-15). John the
Evangelist tells us that "God so loved the world that he gave his
only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have
eternal life" (John 3:16).
Jesus' death on the cross won for us new life and freedom to live
as men and women of faith, hope, and love. That is why Jesus
offers us the gift and power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13) who
enables us to live each day as God's beloved children -
his sons and daughters. The love and mercy of Jesus Christ, the
forgiveness of sins, and the gift of the Holy Spirit are freely
given to all who acknowledge Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Is
your hope securely placed in the Lord Jesus and his victory on the
cross?
Lord Jesus, you are my hope and my salvation. May I never waver in my hope and trust in your merciful help and strength. Let the fire of your Holy Spirit burn in my heart and fill me with a consuming love for you.
Psalm 105:6-6,42-43
6 O offspring of Abraham his servant, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
7 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He is mindful of his covenant for ever, of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant which he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac
42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.
43 So he led forth his people with joy, his chosen ones with singing.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: The Holy Spirit will inspire martyrs and teach believers, by Cyril of Jerusalem, 430-543 A.D.
"You must also know that the Holy Spirit empowers the martyrs to
bear witness... A person cannot testify as a martyr for Christ's
sake except through the Holy Spirit. If 'no man can say "Jesus is
Lord" except in the Holy Spirit' (1 Corinthians 12:3), will any man
give his life for Jesus' sake except through the Holy Spirit?" (excerpt from CATECHETICAL LECTURES 16.21)
