THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN
Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr
My dear encountered couples:
If you were in great pain would you go to a doctor? Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. But if the pain persisted for several days, I imagine most of us here would get ourselves to a doctor or an emergency room real fast.
There are those, however, who would not. And I am not just talking about those who don’t believe in doctors for religious reasons. There are people who want no part of doctors, hospitals, prescription medicine, or operations. To them the medical establishment kills people, it doesn’t cure them. And so, they choose to stay home and wrestle with their illness by themselves.
Are there people with spiritual illnesses who do the same thing? They don’t believe God can or will help them? Jesus seems to think so. He is talking about the unforgivable sin - the sin against the Holy Spirit. “Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven,” he says. Why is that? God forgives every sin anyone commits. But when a sinner has no confidence in God, like some people have no confidence in doctors, and refuse his help, there is nothing God the Father, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit can do for him. The unforgivable sin is the refusal to let God forgive you. Don’t commit it!
In this Gospel reading, Jesus also warns his disciples. He tells them that every person who acknowledges Jesus before others will be acknowledged by him before the angels of God. Jesus then states that anyone who denies him before others will be denied before the angels of God. These are very strong words!
Today be the person you desire to become. Who knows? It may become a pattern in your life. Turn to Jesus and he will help you to become all you long to be. Jesus will not fail you! However, patience and commitment is required!
