Drippings from the Honeycomb
More to be desired are [the rules of the Lord] than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:10)
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There and back again is the subtitle to the children’s book The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937). It is the journey of a small hobbit from Hobbiton in the Shire to the Lonely Mountain on the other side of Middle Earth. Along the way he passes through many dangers but in the end returns safely home.
Mark wants his readers to: a) repent and believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God and in His Kingdom (Mk 1:1; 1:15; Mk 8:29) for their salvation from sin (Mk 10:45); and b) to follow Him as a disciple (Mk 8:34). These are keystone verses in Mark that pain the picture of faith and following. To Mark, these are flip sides of the same coin. Let me explain.
Faith is not a noun or a spiritual force we tap into, it is a verb—an action. Faith means trust; it is more than mere good opinion of Jesus. We must exercise true saving faith. This faith is an active vs. passive faith that does more than merely assent, it recognizes who Jesus is, our need and His authority, trusts in Him alone for salvation, placing our very lives in His hands. It goes on trusting in His commands. It demonstrates a real loving preference for Christ’s Kingdom and commands. ‘Faith’ without following is dead. (See Paul and James on justification). Following is an unpopular idea today, though it is steeped in adventurous appeal. However, true faith in a person, necessitates that we follow. We step where He asks us to step. While just as it is possible that people who have ‘faith’ don’t follow, it is likewise possible to ‘follow’ without faith. However, the following Jesus has in view is not simply following Him as a good moral teacher. It is following Him as Lord. And here is the flip side of the coin. If we truly follow Jesus in a cruciform way (all the radical things that the Law of Christ commands), such following reveals that we have faith just as true faith is shown in the fruit of following. Following trusts the King and His good words displaying this in action. Jesus wants us to have faith in Him; He also wants us to follow Him. When we truly believe we follow; when we truly follow we show we have faith. Faith and following are both actions; they are flip sides of the same coin. May we persevere in faith and following the Lord Jesus. What exactly is the unforgiveable sin or “eternal sin”?
Some have thought it is suicide or homosexuality or killing a child or a whole host of things.[1] When the context is understood one doesn’t have to guess. Mark is seeking to show that Jesus is the “Christ, the Son of God.” The first 3 chapters are filled with examples of who He is. However, many are confused. His family thinks He is insane and His opponents think He is Satanic. Neither of these responses allows for someone to join the new family Jesus is forming. In v. 28 Jesus assures that there are many serious sins that can be forgiven (“blasphemies”). To blaspheme is to curse God, a serious crime. In v. 29 blasphemy against the Spirit is what is unforgiveable. What role does God the Holy Spirit have? Jn 16 tells us He generally ‘convicts of sin’ (v. 8) and “glorifies” or point toward Jesus like a flood light. The eternal unforgiveable sin then is in v. 30—to persist in not recognizing who Jesus is and believe in Him. This is the sin the Pharisees were guilty of. The unforgiveable sin is ‘dying outside of Christ.’ Jesus can make the vilest sinner who repents clean. Those who think otherwise have too low a view of God’s character, an insufficient view of the work of Christ or too high a view of themselves. No one is beyond God’s grace if they would but turn and trust in Jesus. [1] If we persist in these sins rather than persevering in the faith this indicates we haven’t truly trusted in Christ and thus are guilty of the unforgiveable sin. A lovely crowd gathered with some amazing singing, all helped by other members of the church. I spoke on the first four verses of 1 Cor 15, Good News of Easter.
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