Reflection - Work of the Spirit

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/012218.cfm
2 SM 5:1-7, 10
MK 3:22-30

There is one statement made in each of our Scripture passages that immediately promotes head-scratching for most who read them. The line from the book of Samuel comes when David and his army approach to attack the city of Jerusalem:

David was told, "You cannot enter here:
the blind and the lame will drive you away!"

We scratch our heads and ask: “What’s that about? The blind and the lame?” The meaning of the words lies in the strong defenses of the core city; and the claim is that the walls are so impregnable that the city could be successfully defended even if only the blind and the lame were the defenders.

The line from Mark, which inevitably raises eyebrows, comes at the conclusion of the passage:

Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never have forgiveness,
but is guilty of an everlasting sin.
For they had said [of Jesus], "He has an unclean spirit." 

The blasphemers whom Jesus was referring to were the Scribes who attributed to Satan what was actually the work of the Holy Spirit. While no sin is unforgivable in principle, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit demonstrates a blindness to the work and presence of God. Such blindness is, realistically speaking, unforgivable, because the very nature of the sin means the person would be blind to his need for forgiveness and, therefore, he would never seek pardon.

Now that those two head-scratchers are out of the way, let me introduce a third, which the text selection itself brought on: Why is the account of David’s rise to kingship and his conquest of Jerusalem paired with the account of Jesus’ being accused by some Scribes of doing the work of Satan? The two passages seem to be dealing with totally different issues. David is recognized as king by all twelve tribes of Israel; and then he establishes, as the new nation’s capitol, a city that was not previously part of any one of the twelve tribe’s territory. Jesus casts out a demon and is accused of performing the work by Satan’s power. Jesus corrects the logic of those who seek to discredit him and points to the spiritual risk they are taking in proclaiming the Spirit’s work to be the work of Evil.

The appropriateness of the pairing of the two passages becomes almost obvious when we read in Samuel, two verses after the lines from our present text that:

David perceived that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. (2 Samuel 5:12)

Recognizing — and failing to recognize the work of the Spirit of God is the key to understanding the association of the two passages.

Like each of us, David could look back and peruse the events and accomplishments of his life. He was introduced to the reader as a sheep-herder, the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse, the son with the least right of inheritance. We follow him in the text as he defeats Goliath of the Philistines, as he becomes a skilled warrior, as he stands in King Saul’s shadow, as he befriends Saul’s son and marries Saul’s daughter. We follow him as he pronounces judgement on those who kill the King, as he defeats the enemies of God’s people and as he unites those people into one kingdom.

Most men review their lives and feel success in their achievements. Some might also thank God for the strength, the skill, the opportunity and the intelligence they not only had been given but also had used to rise to their present position. David goes a step further. He recognizes that neither his gifts nor his use of those gifts have brought him to the throne of Israel. In all probability, others had similar gifts and were similarly diligent in their use of them. But none of them became king. This was the work of God. The LORD had established him king over Israel.

So it is in the lives of each one of us; and, whether with a sense of failure or a sense of accomplishment, our faith requires that we acknowledge the hand that has guided us to the present, knowing that he has placed us where we are for a reason, while using even our mistakes as a means to bring us good. David became a man after God’s own heart by his constant, continued awareness of the presence of God in his life, knowing, as James says, that:

Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
(James 1:17)

That simple abiding awareness is critical for those who wish to see with the mind of Christ.

But there is also the blindness of the Scribes to be considered, and weighed carefully as we examine our understanding of our past and our expectations of the future. It is doubtful that any of us would attribute the work of the Spirit to Evil. It is probable, however, since it is so encouraged by society, that we might fall into the trap of minimizing God’s willingness to participate in human activity while simultaneously maximizing the roll of ourselves, or society or government. St Teresa of Avila is often quoted as having said: “Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.”

The most important part of this saying is in the first few words: Christ has no body now but yours. You are to be his mind, his heart, his presence. And how do we do that unless we frequently talk to him — and listen while he talks to us. If our endeavors to do good do not follow from hearing his voice, then we are as blind as the Scribes, and will, like them, attribute the good that is done to someone or something other than God.