“… many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not entrust himself unto them, because he knew all men” John 2:23,24It is interesting that at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus, we find that “many believed in His name.” They put their trust in Him when they were convinced by the supernatural events, by the miracles that they saw. They believed! Believers often think of “trusting in God” as the pinnacle of spiritual maturity. The more one trusts God, the more faith one has, and therefore one is more spiritually mature. But it is interesting that John points out that while they believed, Jesus did not commit himself to them. It is interesting to note that John uses the same word he uses for “they believed” in the following “entrust” or “commit”. While it is absolutely crucial to put your trust in God for without faith it is impossible to please God, it is only the beginning. The starting question may be “Do you trust God?”, but the real question is “Can God trust you?”
Jesus could not trust them because “he knew all men”. He knew the fickleness of the heart. He knew that as the temporary effects of a supernatural event faded away in the days to come, as the life in all its monotony, and trials and triumphs would present itself, the “belief” would relegate itself to a corner of their mind, and they would continue to live life as they had done before they “believed in His name.” Jesus could not trust in their consistency and conformity of life to their belief. The cornerstone of genuine trust is consistency. By seeing the miracles, they believed in Him, but they merely believed in His ability. Unshakeable trust requires believing in His immutability. It is because God is immutable, it is because He is unchangeable, it is because He is consistent, we can put our trust in Him. Unless the Gospel permeates more than our mind, and brings about a life of consistency that can be trusted, God cannot reciprocate our trust. Our trust in Jesus leads to a life that can be trusted by Jesus.
You can, with the same certainity of the saints of all the ages, trust in the immutability of Jesus, in the consistency of His grace and love today. But the real question is can Jesus trust you today? Can He count on your faithfulness today? Can He trust that you will respond to offences with forgiveness today? Can He trust your heart, your mind, your actions, and your thoughts to be consistent to His will today? Can He entrust Himself to you? Jesus was never interested in anyone’s opinion of Him, but their obedience to Him!
Danesh
