30“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.31And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:30-32)
Thoughts: To some, this passage seems so unusual they want to say it is not really scripture - or not really Jesus and we don't have to pay any attention to it. It does not fit with our preconceived ideas of how Jesus ought to be. We want him to always look the other way and always forgive. But this passage (which I believe is original and should be honored as canonical nonetheless) speaks of a limit to God's forgiveness. It appears in the context of religious leaders calling Jesus evil. There are other passages where Jesus says to brush the sand off your feet when you are not welcomed- a symbol of unforgiveness (Mt. 10:14; Mark 6:11). The good news is the loving, gracious Jesus is our judge (Romans 8:34). He is slow to condemn and gives many chances to repent. In some ways all of life is an opportunity to get things right with God. While we have breath, we hope.
Everyone is invited to come- but not all do. Blasphemy against the Spirit is calling the work of God's Spirit evil. Jesus' coming, healing, teaching was certainly the epitome of spiritual work. But there were those who condemned Jesus' work then, and condemn it now. It seems that this involves the hardening of one's heart against God- not letting the Spirit in- and even more calling His work evil.
Those who speak blasphemously of God and the church are not answerable to God's people but to God Himself. To think that there should not be any consequences for calling the most Holy God evil is naive. Blasphemy of God- real blasphemy- is a poison that spreads. However, in the Christian Church, while we may discipline people in the church spiritually, we do not condemn them physically. There have been historic exceptions from which the church winces in sadness and repentance. We leave that punishment up to God, who is the One who is ultimately offended. Just as "revenge" is left to God (and we turn the other cheek), so defending God's honor is ultimately up to Him. He will defend His honor with utmost fairness and with true justice.
While Jesus welcomes all- and made room for Gentiles, women, and the sick- there is a time when we must decide are we for Him or against Him.
Prayer: Lord, let me be for you. Let me be all in for you.
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