IV.
What do we have in our passage this week?

A man healed; an amazed crowd; accusations from the Pharisees; “the ruler of the demons” given credit for healing a man; a claim by Jesus that “the kingdom of God has upon you”; and a remark about forgiveness, blasphemy and what cannot be forgiven.

What draws your attention?

V.
Matthew 12:22-32 (NRSVue)

Then they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see. All the crowds were amazed and were saying, “Can this be the Son of David?”

But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this man casts out the demons.”

He knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how, then, will his kingdom stand? If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

VI.
We have before us what has sometimes been called the “unpardonable sin.”

So is the unpardonable sin a failure, a decision, to refuse to recognize Jesus as the Messiah or as the Savior?

But Jesus says speaking against the “Son of Man” can be forgiven.

What is it to “[speak] against the Holy Spirit,” or to “blasphemy against the Spirit”?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}