Jesus said to his disciples:

8 “I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, him will the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God; 9 but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of the angels of God. 10 Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don’t be anxious how or what you will answer, or what you will say; 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say.”

Luke 12:8-12 - World English Bible

In beginning of Luke 12, Jesus warned his followers of coming persecutions, but to trust in God. He returned to the subject of judgment, but on a more cosmic level. Evangelization, confessing the name of the Son of Man, was evidence for acquittal in the Final Judgment, where Christ himself would plead on the disciples behalf before the angelic jury.

Then, Jesus made a statement that still puzzles people today. To speak against the Son of Man would be blasphemy, but what did he mean by blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? And why was one offense forgivable while the other was not? Some scholars argue for a particular instance of sin (where a disciple might disagree with Jesus) against a general sin (rejecting the entire message). Others argue the sin referred to the particular charge made by the Pharisees that Jesus exorcised demons by the power of Satan (see Matthew 12:22-32), confusing the power of the Spirit with that of the devil. In either case, the “sin against the Holy Spirit” involved an utter and complete rejection of the Good News. The controversy and ultimate question about the sin, however, revolved around agency. Does the act of the person make the sin unforgivable? Or, was the sin so odious that God would refuse to forgive the person? The identity of the sin and the agency of unforgiveness still vex us today. And, dear reader, to those questions I personally have no clear answer.

In the end, proclaiming the Good News would lead to conflict, even persecution. A disciple could not predict nor prepare for coming tensions; he could only trust in the Spirit. And, maybe in Luke's mind, the question of trust separated the sinner from the saint.

How have you placed your trust in the Spirit today?