Beginning with the story of Adam and Eve, it has often been difficult for human beings to realize that their actions have consequences. In the Book of Genesis, the story of the Fall reminds us that neither Adam nor Eve is willing to take responsibility for eating of the tree of which God had forbidden them to eat. The woman whom you put here with me, Adam says, she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it. The woman also refuses to acknowledge her role: The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it. Adam and Eve could have all they want and yet they want more, and they deceive themselves by shifting blame away from themselves. Once that happens, divisions begin, as each becomes increasingly self-focused, no longer relying on one another, and no longer open to God working in their life. Unlike the psalmist in Psalm 130, who knows that with the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption, neither Adam nor Eve asks for forgiveness or has any hope of salvation from God.
In Mark’s Gospel, the scribes similarly fail to see that God is at work among them, and do not take responsibility for their imposition of an unwieldy set of laws upon the people, which has had disastrous consequences. Instead, the scribes accuse Jesus of doing evil: He is possessed by Beelzebul, they say. By the prince of demons he drives out demons. Their comments are blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and Jesus calls out their guilt and their self-focus. Even Jesus’ own family members seem not to understand what God is doing and so try to intervene: He is out of his mind, they say as they set out to seize him, fearful that he is risking his life by provoking the scribes. Jesus will forgive them for not understanding that the most important thing of all is to do the will of God. He came to save all mankind by binding up Satan, by binding up evil and replacing it with God’s love. If this requires giving his life, so be it: Jesus wants both the scribes and his disciples to have faith and to recognize what God is doing in and among them to effect their salvation.
If we are open to what God is doing in us, then we know to look not to what is seen but to what is unseen, as Paul tells the Corinthians. We are to look within, to the faith growing with in us, at work in us, rather to give in to self-focus. God calls us to draw closer and closer to the eternal life within us, that we might open to the salvation he offers and be a conduit of that life to all.
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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