Reparation for Blasphemy

 "Jesus Christ Conquers" in Greek

[IC and XC are monograms for Ιεσους and Χριστος, respectively]

Blasphemy is a sin that seems mostly ignored today, which is odd, considering that it is the Second Commandment (depending on your numbering): "You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain."  The Israelites had a keen respect for God's Holy Name, the Sacred Tetragrammaton (Four Letters): יהוה.  This name, revealed to Moses at the Burning Bush (or somehow learned by Enosh, son of Seth, for Genesis (4:26b) says, "At that time men began to call upon the name of the Lord," that is, יהוה), was so revered that it was only spoken by the High Priest during the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and the Mishnah expresses the people's reverence:

"When the priests and the people which stood in the Temple Court heard the Expressed Name come forth from the mouth of the High Priest, they used to kneel and bow themselves and fall down on their faces and say, 'Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom for ever and ever!" (Yoma 6:2)

Though the Name appears countless times throughout Scripture (often marked in English translations by the word "Lord" in either all capitals or small capitals), it was (and still is by pious Jews) never pronounced: instead, when the Scriptures are read, readers replaced the Tetragrammaton with the word "Adonai."  The Name of God was held to be so sacred that he who blasphemed It was put to death, as the Lord Himself orders in Leviticus.  After a man whose father was an Egyptian and mother was of the tribe of Dan blasphemes the Sacred Name, the Lord declares the punishment for the son of Shelomith and for all who blaspheme:

"And say to the people of Israel, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin.  He who blasphemes the Name of the Lord shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him; the sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death" (Lev 24:15-16).

Blasphemy was the crime laid upon Jesus by the Sanhedrin, and thus He was crucified for it.  Because Jesus is the Lord, because He is one of the Persons of the All-Holy Trinity, He was, of course, not blaspheming when He claimed the Divine Name for Himself, because It is rightly His.  Because He is Lord, His personal name is holy as well:

"Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil 2:9-11).

If Jesus' Name is above all names (could this mean It is even above the Sacred Tetragrammaton?), It must be treated with awe and reverence.  If blaspheming the Sacred Name revealed in the Old Covenant is punished with death, should not the same be true of the Sacred Name of the New Covenant?  It seems clear, then, that blaspheming the name of Jesus Christ is a mortal sin, for it is an offense punishable by death.  Why, then, do we not speak up when His glorious Name is blasphemed far and wide?  We must reverence His Holy Name, for the Name belongs to the Person, and the Person of Jesus Christ is All-Holy, thus making the Name All-Holy as well.

What do we do when we hear His Name blasphemed so often?  We must speak up and defend His Name, which is a challenge, for to many it seems that nothing is sacred, that Jesus Himself is not sacred, much less His Name.  Since rebuking sinners (a spiritual work of mercy which must be done in love) seems so unable to effect change in this area, what else shall we do?  We must offer reparation for the blasphemers.  Thus, when we hear the name of Jesus Christ blasphemed, I recommend we pray the following prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on those who blaspheme Your Name.

It is a short prayer derived from the Jesus Prayer, but I think it will be effective.  For God can change the hearts of men, as long as men are the least bit open.  With our rebukes--which, I repeat, must be made in love--we can hope to open the hearts of blasphemers just a bit, but with our prayers we can hope for certain that we are doing the most we can for them, for what is more effective than prayer?  It will take much courage to rebuke blasphemers, for we will receive much ridicule for it, and I know it will be intensely difficult for me, for I am non-confrontational, but I hope to try and, with God's help, hopefully grow stronger in my defense of our Saviour's Most-Holy Name.  In the end, then, I encourage us all to rebuke those who blaspheme and to offer a reparatory prayer in intercession for them.  Let us all defend all that is sacred, all that belongs to the Lord, including His Holy and Sacred Name, so that we can declare with the Psalmist:

"Not to us, O Lord, not to us,

but to Thy Name give glory, 

for the sake of Thy steadfast love and Thy faithfulness!" (Ps 115:1)

Nota Bene: The quote from the Mishnah is taken from the translation by Herbert Danby, D.D., published by Oxford University Press in 1933.