Unforgivable Sin and the Family of Christ

2 Pentecost  Cycle B  proper 5 June 6, 2021 
1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15) Psalm 138
2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1   Mark 3:20-35

Lectionary Link

What is the difference between forgiveness and a pardon?  They may be used as synonyms but there may be some significant nuances of differences.  When a person is pardoned, it does not mean that the person acknowledges guilt or promises amendment of life or reparation of harms caused.  The notion of forgiveness implies a recognition of a wrong with a confession of the same, a request for mercy along with the promise of repentance and amendment of life.

Just as all laws are not equal in importance, so too, we might say that not all sins and wrongs are of equal magnitude of devastating horror.

What sins might be on the list of being unforgivable or unpardonable?  The six million killed in the holocaust?  Stalin's slaughters?  Pol Pot's genocides?  Armenian genocide?  The enslavement people with oppressing violence.  The slaughter of people in unjust wars or for the sheer motive of profit and land.  These are social or group unforgivable sins, which our ancestors were involved in perpetrating.  What about more individual and personal unforgivable sins?  Abuse and cruelty to children?

Certainly the magnitude of sins in how they devastate individuals or groups of people challenges the limits of possible forgiveness.

Can forgiveness happen even when people don't want it?  We are told that from the cross, Jesus said, "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing?"  So can ignorance, not knowing, or the sickness of social pathologies be reason for forgiving of others?

Before Jesus died upon the cross, he had some serious opposition.  And some of his opposition came from family members who did not understand him.  They had perhaps become targets because of his public deeds and ministry.  He had this public ministry of people of exorcisms, where he whispered deeply disordered people to calmness and peace.  His ministerial style and successes were questioned by the major religious leaders in Israel. 

Perhaps the religious leaders had gone to the family members of Jesus and said, "What's wrong with Jesus?  Has he gone mad?  You know he's breaking all of the rules of being a proper rabbi.  Spitting and making a mud pack to heal a blind person?  What kind of nut would do this?  Why would he even allow himself to be in the same room as a demon possessed person?  Does he know that they are impure and unclean?

"You family members of Jesus, you need to confront Jesus.  Rein him in.  You need to do an intervention."

So, Jesus was opposed by some of family members.  He was said to be mad.  He was said to have made a pact with the devil so as to be able to cast the demons from people.

Jesus explained the total stupidity of such a contradiction, by saying the devil does not work against himself.

And in fact it is unforgivable to imply that the good force of the Holy Spirit who cleanses the hearts of the people whom Jesus whispered, is a devilish force.  This is unforgivable.  To be so warped as to declare the good health which comes to a tortured souls as being done by the prince of evil, is to live in an unforgivable state, the state of not being able to come to repentance and amendment of life.

"But Jesus, your family are here.  You need to regard them and quit embarrassing them.  You are getting them in trouble with the religious authorities and their neighbors."

And this when we get a statement of Jesus about God's family?  "Who is my family?" asked Jesus.  "My family are those who are like me in doing the will of the Father." 

These are ones who are praying, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

We live in a world today where the American family is divided.  We need to avoid living in the "state of the unforgivable."  And what is unforgivable?  It is to be in the condition of saying what is good is evil and what is evil is good.  Having lies being regarded as truth, and the truth being regarded as lies; this is an unforgivable over-turning of the meaningful values inspired by the Holy Spirit.

We need to discern the will of God, and live it and promote it.  And what is the will of God?  It is love, it is justice and mercy.  It is honoring the freedom of democracy among people.

Let us pray today that we will avoid ignorance, bigotry and bias which may place us in the unforgivable state of calling good, evil.  And let us humbly seek God's will which will confirm our membership in the family of Christ and our membership in the family of Christ will be known by our love of others.  Amen.