+ 2nd Sunday after Pentecost - June 6, 2021 +
Series B: Genesis 3:8-15; 1 Corinthians 4:13-5:1; Mark 3:20-35
Beautiful Savior Lutheran
Milton, WA
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seventy seven years ago today the Allied forces launched history’s largest amphibious assault onto the beaches of Normandy, France. The time had come to invade Fortress Europe, open the long-expected second front against Nazi Germany, and bring an end to the war.
In Mark 3, we witness Jesus conducting the original operation overlord. Though at first it may sound like nothing more than just another theological argument between Jesus and the Jewish religious authorities, this is much more than a war of words. It is a war between the kingdom of darkness and death, and the good and gracious kingdom, the rule and reign, of Jesus, the true and rightful King.
It is an invasion of cosmic proportions that begins among Jesus’ own relatives. What could’ve been a quiet meal quickly turns chaotic. The crowds gathered around Jesus, leaving no room to move, let alone eat. Meanwhile, Jesus’ family tries to seize him saying, “He is out of his mind.”
This is what Jesus means when he says elsewhere that a prophet is not acceptable in his own town. At this point in his ministry even his own family misunderstands him. Calls him crazy. A couple books short of the full Torah.
Although that’s nothing compared to what the Scribes accuse Jesus of being. They came down from Jerusalem saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”
Notice that the Scribes don’t question whether or not Jesus did anything miraculous. They don’t doubt that he healed and cast out demons. Rather, they attack Jesus’ power and authority to do these things. The Scribes didn’t think Jesus had lost his marbles; they thought he was in league with Satan.
Jesus repels their foolish attack with a quick volley of logic. “How can Satan cast 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, but is coming to an end.”
The Scribes’ accusation is a logical impossibility. If Jesus were on the devil’s side then he wouldn’t be waging war against him by healing and casting out demons. And yet, that’s exactly what Jesus does. His entire life is a warrior’s campaign to destroy the devil. Satan may appear to be a strong man, but Jesus is the stronger man.
But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.
Jesus reveals his battle plan: bind the strong man and plunder his goods. Jesus the Divine Burglar comes in human flesh, binds the devil, storms the dragon’s lair and reclaims you, his rightful treasure. We’re the plunder the Divine Thief carries off after He’s tied up the strong man. We who were once rebels and sinners are now Jesus’ greatest treasure through his victory on the cross. Jesus’ death on the cross is D-Day for the devil, and victory for you.
This is why Jesus came. To free us from sin and death and the power of the devil. To forgive. “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter.”
Stop for a moment and ponder just how remarkable that verse is. How many sins? All. Yours. Mine. All. How many people did Jesus die for? All. How many of our sins did he pay for on the cross? All.
Why then, we wonder, does Jesus go on to talk about an unforgivable sin? What does it mean when he says…”whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”
No doubt this is a tricky verse. But let’s look closely at the context. This whole conversation started with the Scribes accusing Jesus of teaming up with Satan. Rather than receiving the Holy Spirit, who fell on Jesus at his baptism in the Jordan, they reject the work of the Holy Spirit by saying his work is the work of the devil. Rather than receiving Jesus as the Messiah they’re saying he’s the mouthpiece of Satan. Rather than receiving the kingdom of God that comes in Jesus they’re saying he’s an ambassador of the kingdom of darkness.
This is what Jesus means when he talks about the sin against the Holy Spirit. It’s not some particular sin that’s somehow worse than any other, but what the Scribes are doing here, which is a complete, fierce, and total rejection of the work of the Spirit through Jesus. It’s to say that heaven is hell, that God is the devil, the Spirit is Beelzebul, and Jesus is the devil’s servant.
Usually we start to worry about this sin against the Holy Spirit when we’re concerned that we’ve sinned in some unforgivable way. First of all, know that if you’re worried about this sin you haven’t committed it. People who’ve committed this sin aren’t concerned about a troubled conscience. It’s called the unforgivable sin not because it’s so big and bad. Jesus has already dealt with big and bad sin for you on the cross. The unforgivable sin is unforgivable because it wants no part of forgiveness.
That’s not you. You’re here. You’re forgiven. You’re baptized. You hear Jesus’ words. Receive his forgiveness. You live in his mercy and grace. You rejoice in his victory over sin and death and the devil for you. And don’t forget that even the so-called unforgivable sin can be forgiven. Remember how Jesus appeared to Saul the persecutor and turned him into Paul the apostle by the power of the very same Holy Spirit he had been blaspheming.
Secondly, don’t forget what Jesus said right before that verse. all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter. Not some. Not just the little ones. All. Jesus forgives you all your sin. Period. Full stop. You cannot out sin the love of Jesus on the cross. Sure we have big sins, and plenty of them. But Jesus is a bigger Savior.
To receive that good news. To believe in Jesus' forgiveness. To be rescued by and live in Jesus’ victory on the cross. This is what it means when Jesus says, “Whoever does the will of God is my mother and brother and sisters.”
Sure he’s talking about his disciples there. But he’s also talking about you. You are part of God’s family. Redeemed. Rescued. Forgiven. Soldiers of the cross. Brothers and sisters in Christ.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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