For those not familiar with an Anglican Service; there are four Scripture Readings before the Sermon. The Scripture Readings for this day were: 1 Samuel 8:4 - 20; Psalm 138 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 and Mark 3:20-35.
A Little Boy desperately wanted $100.00 ...to buy some toys ...and prayed to God ......for a whole week, ...but nothing happened.
So, ... he decided ...to write a letter to God...requesting ...the $100.00.
When the Post Office got the letter addressed to God ......they forwarded it on ... to the Whitehouse.
The President surprisingly received it... was very impressed, ...touched and amused ...so he instructed his aid ......to send the boy... $5.00.
He thought $5.00 would be a lot... to the little boy.
And... the boy was, indeed, ...delighted by the money.
He sat down ......and immediately wrote a thank you note, ......which read:
Dear God, ... Thank you very much ...for sending the money.
However, ...I noticed ......that for some reason ...you had to send it through Washington DC ...and, as usual, ...they kept ...most of it. (Pause)
Beloved Satan is a Thief and Satan is a Liar.
Satan is a thief and he wants to drag the world down with him.
Satan is a Liar.
The setting we have today in our Gospel Text is early in Jesus Ministry.
Having chosen his twelve, ... Jesus resumes his ministry in Galilee, ... and he finds both popularity ... yet also great opposition.
He is so popular ... that the people crowd him... in such a way... that Jesus and his disciples ... are not able to "eat bread,"... that is, ... to eat anything.
At the same time ... opposition intensifies ... with accusations of demon possession... from the Jerusalem authorities.
His popularity ... Remember this early in His Ministry ...alarms his family... and his friends.
And This concern ... bookends our text in Mark.
"Those who are close to him" and "his family" ... heard about how the crowds were hindering his own self-care and they concluded that he was "out of his mind" or "he is beside himself" -literally in the Greek, "he is not himself". Mark 3:20-21
At the beginning of our text and then again at the end of our text in Mark ... Jesus family ... that is his "mother and brothers" arrive. Mark 3:31-35
Perhaps these two separate groups or two separate encounters to extract Jesus from the Crowds.
Or are they the same .... as Our translation seems to indicate. (NRSV)
However, we read it, ... some believed that Jesus popularity ... was too much.
They felt ... that they needed to extract Jesus... from the situation.
They misread ... what Jesus is doing.
It was early in his ministry and the people didn't understand.
Beloved when we were lost in sin ... we too did not understand.
The people fail to see the prophetic mantle... that Jesus assumed ... at his baptism.
Jesus was called ... to herald ... a new kingdom.
Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done!
Jesus has assembled his twelve ... and he has started the process... to disciple them.
He started to teach them ... Using parables ... stories to help the people remember.
The crowds are overwhelming ... but the mission... is paramount.
This is the context ... in which we hear Jesus raise the question, ......."Who are my mother and brothers?" (Mark 3:33).
Jesus raises questions ... of priorities and relationships.
Is he your Lord ... Is he your Lord.
In answer, ... Jesus looks at those seated around him... perhaps the twelve, ... yet perhaps including more ... as "sisters" are included ... and he says:
"Here are my mother.... and sister.... and brother." Mark 3:35
Something ... has shifted.
We should not misread this ... and think that he is rejecting ... his physical mother... and brothers.
Remember our Lord cared for His mother as he hung on the cross.
He arranged for her protection ... as he gasp for his last breaths.
He acknowledges... that there is more than just physical bloodlines.
There's the Blood line of the Kingdom.
The Blood of the Lamb would be shed.
And when we seek Christ for Salvation.
When we acknowledge Jesus as Savior and Lord we are covered by the blood.
And we become part of a new Blood line ... The heavenly bloodline of God.
And Between these bookends regarding Jesus ministry... lies an important ... book-mark.
In both Mark 3:22 and in Mark 3:30, ... Jesus is accused of... demon possession.
These Jerusalem Leaders were doing all that they could to stop the Ministry of the Nazarian.
Remember they did not understand.
It is the Teachers of the law from Jerusalem... that make the accusation.
Jesus has attracted great crowds from Judea and Jerusalem... gathering great crowds that came to sit at his feet. (Mark 3:8)
It seems likely... that the Sanhedrin ... the ruling Jewish Council in Jerusalem... sent a team to Galilee to stop him ... to confront this Jesus.
For Jesus has been exorcising demons.
He has been demonstrating authority... over the demons.
And he intends... to give that same authority... to the Twelve.
And Beloved ... He has given that Authority to us.
Greater is he that is in me ... then he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
And If the Jerusalem leaders are going to oppose Jesus ... they must be able to explain Why this Jesus has this undisputed ability ... to cast out demons.
They accuse Jesus... of casing out demons ... by the power of Beelzebul ... the ruler of the demons.
Beel... is a Greek form of Baal,... the infamous Canaanite god.
Remember the Canaanite God Baal?
Now they proclaim, ... Jesus is associated with Baal.
It was this very idolatry ... the worship of Baal ... that led to the exile... of both Israel and Judah.
In the minds of the these men ... Jesus is practicing ... Satanic magic.
And This belief of Jesus ... satanic activities ... lived on within the Jewish community for centuries after our Lords Crucifixion.
And was part of the anti-Christian persecution.
In Fact, ... The Babylonian Talmud ... states the following: (Pause)
"Yeshu of Nazareth ... was hanged on the day of preparation for the Passover... because he practiced sorcery... and led the people ... astray".
The accusation by the Jerusalem Instigators, ... assumes... Jesus is a sorcerer, ... and is demon-possessed.
The pagan ... states that Jesus learned his magic... while he was in Egypt.
It seems likely... that our text in Mark ... is within the Gospel narratives ... as a response to such accusations. (Pause)
Yet Jesus responds Praise God
Jesus retorts... "How can Satan... drive out Satan?".
Jesus identifies Beelzebul with Satan ... humanity's ... chief accuser.
He's the accuser ... he's the liar ... He's the Thief.
Jesus is clear ... Who divides... their own kingdom?
If Jesus is working for Satan ... then Satan's strategy ... is self-defeating.
Are you to blind to see that? (Pause)
The reign of God ... is defeating ... and has defeated... the reign... of Satan.
Jesus came to bind Satan ... so that he might despoil... Satan's house.
He has bound the strong man.
Hallelujah ... The strong man is going down ... and the reign of God... is taking over. (Pause)
Sadly, so many are listing to the lying voice of Satan.
So many no longer gather in community for worship as God commands us to do.
Just as Jesus family ... misread his ministry ... so, had ... the Jerusalem leaders.
God forgives all sorts of sins ... and all sorts blasphemies ... done by humanity.
But God does not ... and will not forgive the eternal sin ... of blasphemy ... against the Holy Spirit.
Beloved ... not many pastors preach ... Blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
Before assessing the meaning ... of this warning, ... several items ... are notable.
Jesus speaks ... and acts against demons ... by the power of ... the Holy Spirit.
First, ... Jesus identifies his work ... in the casting out of demons ... as the work of ......the Holy Spirit.
Beloved ... "unforgivable sin" ... is not a new idea within Judaism. (Pause)
Blaspheming the name of God ... was regarded as unforgivable... by the Jewish Nation.
Jesus specifically identifies blasphemy ... with the leaders... accusation:
When they say... that the words and works of Jesus... are the words and works of Satan... they are blaspheming.
Because ... Instead of confessing Jesus ... as the "Son of God" as the Father announced ... the leaders accuse Jesus... to be ... a son ... of Satan.
And Beloved ... This is blasphemy.
At one level ... Jesus may be saying, ... "You leaders believe... in unforgivable sins.
And If any sin is unforgivable, ... it is the one ... which you have just committed!"
Denying the Son of Man.
The sin that arises to this level ...... is not some inadvertent remark ... about the Spirit, ... or one's unbelief ....... We all were there ... at some point in their life, ... or some willful sin ... in the past.
It is not that!
Rather ... it is the persistent rejection of Jesus ... as the son of God.
It is the persistent rejection of Jesus.... As Savior and Lord.
Jesus language ... focuses on the present act ... of rejection ... whoever blasphemes ... commits an eternal sin.
As long as anyone continues... in that rejection ... their condemnation... continues.
Hear the words of some great theologians:
Dr. R.C. Sproul ......puts it this way... the unforgivable sin... is blaspheming against the Holy Spirit ... by calling Jesus a devil ... after ... after being enlightened ... (Slow) by that same Spirit.
According to the Reformer John Calvin, ... we commit such sacrilege ..."only when we knowingly endeavor .......to extinguish the Spirit."
Beloved ... There can be no salvation ... if the work of the Spirit ... is knowingly rejected.
Ultimately ... as Augustine says ... "It is un-repentance ... that is a blasphemy ... against the Spirit"
The Great Theologian Matthew Henry shares these words of comfort:
"Those who fear they have committed this sin, ... give a good sign... that they have not."
Most Pastors... both past and present agree ......that a person who worries... that they may have committed the unforgivable sin ... have not really done so.
The Truth is:
The heart that blasphemes the Holy Spirit ... is the heart... that does not worry ... whether they have done so...... our not.
They don't care! (Pause)
Beloved... The Scriptures state: ...Today ....is the day.... of Salvation.
Today is the day ... to accept Jesus as.... your Savior ... and your Lord.
The Savior of your soul...and the Lord of your life.
Yield to His will and be transformed ... Into His Image.
If we are truly a resurrection people, ... than we must yield this flesh.... We must move to a life of maturity.
Maturity in the Faith.
(Slow) To a Life ... of not my will ... but thy will be done. (Luke 22:42)
Amen and Amen!
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