Jesus' warning

 READ: Numbers 7, 8; Psalm 62; Mark 3:20-35

SCRIPTURE: Mark 3: 28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

OBSERVATION: In today's reading, we read the three different accusations against Jesus. His family, possibly his close relatives, said "he was out of his mind." Teachers of the law said that "he is possessed by  Beelzebul" (Satan). Further, they said that Jesus "has an impure spirit." Sorcerers and witches  are said to drive out the lesser or little  demons with the help of superior and powerful demons. You may have noticed or heard about such things. Here, the teachers of the law made such accusation against Jesus i.e. he was exorcising the demons with the help of Satan. His close relatives and family may have wanted to protect Jesus from the evil plans of the teachers of the law. So they said he was a lunatic. 

However, the accusation  of the teachers of the  law  not only dishonored Jesus, but it was an abuse against the Father God who sent Jesus and the Spirit who did the works through him. Jesus was telling the accusers that they were doing an eternally unforgivable and slanderous act of sin. Further, he pointed out the fact that  a divided kingdom and a divided house cannot stand. Therefore, he said that  Satan would never stand against his own kingdom. But these teachers of the law were standing against the works of God. Because they were jealous of Jesus increasing popularity and feared that he would cause a damage to their authority over people. So they were trying to turn the people against Jesus through this kind of false accusations. 

 APPLICATION: I need to be watchful in my words.  As many people do and say, I should not simply  say about something that it is a work of the Satan, without any discernment. I should learn to distinguish the work of God and the work of Satan. Even by mistake, I should not blaspheme against the Spirit of God. Like Jesus, I also must stand against Satan and drive out demons. 

PRAYER:  Jesus, help me to pay my undivided attention to your words and works. Help me to understand the seriousness of sinning against you, oh God.  Set a guard over my mouth. May the words of my mouth be pleasing to you. Amen.  

- Arputharaj Samuel
 +91 9538328573