"Jesus did not trust himself to them"

Baltimore, MD

No troubles today. The biggest challenge was last night, when we couldn't find shelter at a church. We ended up making a bivouac out of a poncho, string, and duct tape (Heather's idea) and huddled under there during the night's rain. I was impressed how well it worked.

I've been thinking of a passage I read the other day, after writing about social rejection as a part of following Jesus:

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did; but Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for he himself knew what was in man. (Jn 2.23-25)

I wondered about that comment, "but Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he knew all men..." It seems like an odd response, given that Jesus had been so well-received by the people. When I looked up the word translated here "did not trust (himself to them)," pisteuo, I found it also means "place confidence in," or "believe in." So it seems to be saying that Jesus did not trust the good response and honor that many people were giving him at that time. He didn't believe that he was doing well (or God's will) because of the crowd's favorable response then. Because "he knew what was in man." Later, the popular response would be much different.

As I wrote before, social rejection tests us and helps turn us away from trusting in the good favor of the powerful society around us. It seems to be an important part of faithfulness to God, since even Jesus faced it. Yet in those moments when we are favored by people, it's just as important then not to trust or believe in that, just as Jesus did not.