Living through the tantrums

Mark 3:19 - end (For text click here)

Anyone who has ever raised children will understand that there comes an age when the relationship begins to change. When they are younger, they seek your advice on everything, they want your company and they listen to what you say - sometimes they even try to put the advice into practice. The help and care is offered and received.

Then, most often, the relationship changes. As the child becomes a young adult and the need for independence grows the advice is not sought so keenly - in fact, very often the attention and advice is actively shunned at times. The care and love is still there, still being offered - but for a time the young person cannot receive it like they once did. Hopefully, this is a phase that everyone grows through, learning to listen to each other until we reach a state where openness is restored and love and care, advice and wisdom can again be exchanged.

In this morning's reading, Jesus is saying that this is how it is with God and us - offering and receiving forgiveness. Jesus is in the midst of teaching and healing. People are receiving forgiveness and wholeness through Him. Those who are open to what is happening are being greatly blessed by God and are being freed from their old demons. But the free way in which people are experiencing the love of God offends many of the religious people of the day; that Jesus dares to pronounce this forgiveness and healing shocks them in the insecurity of their own relationship with God; the changed lives that are the result of this ministry has become evidence that needs undermining. Unfortunately for them, this means that they are closed to the new relationship that God is offering - like difficult teenagers, they are closing their spiritual eyes and ears to what is going and refusing to believe that God is so warm and loving. While their minds are closed to what the Holy Spirit is doing, they cannot receive for themselves the gifts that He is offering - they cannot receive the forgiveness and new life they lead. They remain trapped in their unforgiven state without the power to change and without the knowledge of forgiveness. If this blasphemy (this statement of falsehood against the God) continues they will not be able to receive from God what they need. Like parents dealing with teenagers through a difficult phase, God's love, care and offer of forgiveness remain, but cannot be received.

We all have our tantrums still. In the face of so much love we all fail at times to believe that God really forgives, accepts and renews us. But He does.