Sometimes when we go before God to learn from Him, He does not just teach us, He hits us right between the eyes. We talk about trusting and believing on Him, but I have never really given a lot of thought to the question; "Can He trust me?" In John 2:23-25 we read;
Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.
For many of us the main part of this passage has been that people were believing in Jesus because they beheld His miracle working glory. Yet, I realized today that the real story is found in how Jesus responded to them. Here are all these poeple "believing" in Him and the Bible tells us that Jesus "did not commit Himself to them." Some translations will say that He did not trust, or entrust, Himself to them. Hmmmmmm. I realized that this needed some more investigation.
It is interesting to note that the word used here, commit, is the Greek word "pisteuo" which is the verb form of the word "pistis" or faith. In other words, Jesus did not have active faith in them, enough to give Himself over to them. Of note, this is the same word used in the previous verse, and elsewhere in John's writings, to describe believing in Him. We talk about believing in Him for salvation, trusting ourselves into His care. But in this passage the same word is used to say that Jesus could not believe in these who were believing in Him. WOW! Why is that?
The next verse states that Jesus knew them, meaning He could see into their hearts and minds. I think back to the times in my life when I believed in Jesus, yet I still committed willfull sin. Jesus teaches us that God is a discerner of the heart. He knows when we hide those little acts of rebellion from Him. He knows when we do not truly trust Him with all of ourselves. He knows the truth about us, and so, there are times when He cannot truly trust us.
In Psalm 139:23-24 we read:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
My prayer is that God will truly look into my heart and mind, and if there be any wickedness or sin there, that He will purge me. Or as the chorus goes....
Change my heart, O God, make it ever true.
Change my heart, O God, may I be like You.
You are the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me, this is what I pray.
Father God, please change my heart. Cleanse me, mold me, make me and use me for Your glory. May I be a man of You that can truly walk in his integrity. Make me into someone You can trust and commit Yourself and the gospel message to. Amen!
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