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Dear Fr. Jim, In my new years resolution, I would try to read and understand the bible daily. Today I'm confused, These few lines, "I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” seem contradictory to me. Can you help me better understand? Joe Dear Joe - Good man - and good resolution! That's an excellent question. The whole passage is dealing with the fact that these "scribes" who came down to question Jesus were trying to discount all that Jesus was doing (the healings) and in effect his teachings. Namely that God was offering forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ -- Freedom from the "entrapments" of Satan The "sin against the Holy Spirit" or the blasphemy basically says "God could NEVER forgive me - NEVER forgive this sin (whatever that sin might be)" Its a stubborn refusal to believe in God's mercy. In effect it says that Satan/Sin/Evil are more powerful than God and His Love. So it's a denial of who God is and what God is capable of. That hardness of heart basically makes it impossible for a person to even approach God asking for forgiveness of their sins. If we can't do that/don't do that, than how can God give it to us? Instead of focusing so much on how God's love is possible - May all of us focus on the beauty, and lavish generosity of God's Love for us and be changed by it
God Bless
Fr Jim
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