A Faith That Can’t Be Trusted

John 2:23-25, CEB

While Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover Festival, many believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs that he did.  But Jesus didn’t trust himself to them because he knew all people.  He didn’t need anyone to tell him about human nature, for he knew what human nature was.

                This little transition between Jesus’s cleansing of the Temple and his meeting Nicodemus is included to strengthen a point made during the cleansing of the temple which will be further developed in the Nicodemus story and other recollections in the gospel.  The point is plainly stated.  Jesus doesn’t “trust Himself” to the belief of those who believe in Him because of the signs he performs.  In the exchange with the religious leaders in the Temple, the leaders ask the following:

By what authority are you doing these things? What miraculous sign will you show us?” (2:18)

Now, John points out that the people who believed him because of the signs are no better off than the skeptical religious leaders in the eyes of Jesus.  Jesus is looking for a faith born of something deeper than admiration of performed signs.  Such shallow faith is literally not trustworthy.  This issue is important to John and it should cause us to reflect on the nature of the faith we have. 

                It’s important to acknowledge that many times, faith begins this way – we are impressed by some kind of sign.  Someone survives an accident that, by all accounts, should not have been survivable and they sense divine intervention.  Another notices a divine message in circumstances that are impossible to be dismissed as simply random “coincidences.”  Still another has a profoundly affective dream or vision and is drawn to faith.  These are wonderful and should be received as gifts.  However, we can’t base a trustworthy faith on them.  They have no real staying power and without something more substantial, they will wither and more importantly, fail us when we need our faith most.

                The good news here is that we don’t have to manufacture that stronger faith on our own.  It too, is a gift of God.  But we have to seek it.  More on that later.

Question:  Does our faith require confirmation by something we can see? 

Prayer:  Lord, save us from a shallow faith based on what we can see with our eyes or hear with our ears.  Plant a trust in us that is unshakable and reliable in the worst circumstances we will ever face.  Amen.

Prayer Focus:  Pray for people you know who once displayed faith, but seemed to have lost it.

Song:  Fly Like An Eagle ft. Steve Miller – Playing For Change