Monday, October 20, 2008

The Spirit To Turn To

Reflection on Lk. 12:8-12

The beginning of this Gospel talks about acknowledging God. Surely, Jesus is not saying that God is lacking in or needs recognition from us. God is perfect and full in Himself. Further, what will the recognition and praise of a mere creature like us do to God? Nothing! God has no need of it. He asks for it for our own good. Truth is, as in thanksgiving, our acknowledgement of God is for our salvation. When we acknowledge God we become more aware of who we are. It makes us humble and see our limitations. We accept our dependence on God. We accept that we need His guiding presence to deal with the challenges of Christian life.

Foremost of these needs is the need for discernment and wisdom. The worst thing that can happen to any human being is to dissociate himself from God. When he comes to believe that he can live life by himself and does not need God's assistance, he had committed the greatest blunder. Guidance by the Spirit is necessary. We can not do without it. We have sealed our fate when we decide to severe our ties with the Spirit. This is the essence of Jesus' warning that a denial of the Son of Man maybe forgiven but a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable. There was a time when the act of suicide (killing oneself) was believed to be the act being referred to by this Gospel. There is some truth to it in the sense that killing oneself is a clear sign of desperation and hopelessness. These two attitudes are against the very inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In those situations, our only hope is the help of the Holy Spirit. It can not come from anybody or anywhere. When one rejects even the very inspiration of the Spirit; change, repentance, and hope, can not anymore penetrate a person and therefore renders him separated from God. The rejection of the Spirit is considered blasphemy in the sense that it is a rejection of God Himself.

This is further elaborated when we are being persecuted. God does not abandon us during those trying times. He promised the guidance of His Spirit and would go as far as assisting us with our defense and what we are to say. And this is the ultimate point of our Lord Jesus. God is always with us as He promised when He came and when He left. Jesus, Emmanuel (God with us!), had given us His Spirit to make His presence always felt. It is our responsibility to always seek the guidance of the Spirit. It is our responsibility to heed its promptings and go where it blows. To do otherwise, much more to completely shut it out of us, would be blasphemous!

 

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