no trust

There’s a striking moment in the early phase of Jesus’ public ministry that I don’t think I’ve taken notice of before. Here it is, as recorded in John 4:23-25: 

“Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.”

I never before thought about Jesus as being untrusting, but what cause could he possibly have to trust us? As the passage says, he knows what’s in each one of us. He knows how quickly we’re tempted away by other things. He knows how willingly we forsake him for temporary pleasures. He knows how readily we forget about him as we go about our days.

There is little in us to trust. That’s a hard truth to swallow, but I have to acknowledge that I’ve betrayed Jesus more than once. In fact, if I accept that most of what Jesus calls me to is lived out on behalf of other people, I wonder if my casual integrity with Jesus should make others leery to trust me as well. 

It makes me wonder why Jesus cares so much for me when when he knows so much about me. That’s another thing for me to be grateful for.