Heart Tracks - He Knows

Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. 24But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man. John 2:23-24

I've written a great deal on our need to give ourselves to Him. This passage of Scripture raises the question for all of us; Can He give Himself to us?

We live in the day of "easy faith," of costless, crossless Christianity. We are eager to secure "confessions of faith," and tally up the number. The thing is, nowhere in His ministry did Jesus ever seem eager to do the same. Indeed, He seems to discourage people from following Him. He tells them, and us, to "count the cost." He tells them, and us, that no one can follow Him unless they're willing to give up everything for Him. When the rich young ruler came to Him, He sent him away because giving up all for Him wasn't in his realm of reference. In how many fellowships would we do the same? David would not offer up to God sacrifices which "cost me nothing." Yet more often than not, we welcome those who will offer Him such, and too often, we do as well. That's why the Scripture from John 2 speaks so loudly to me. With such heart attitudes abounding, can Jesus Christ entrust Himself to us? Can He entrust Himself to me, and to you?

Throughout His earthly ministry, people flocked to Him. People "believed" in Him. Yet to these Jesus never "entrusted Himself.". He knew what was in their hearts. He knew that many who shouted "Hosanna" concerning Him today would be shouting "Crucify Him," tomorrow. Despite our shouts of praise for Him today, what does He see in our hearts about tomorrow? Do we really have a walk to which He can entrust Himself? In John 6, we're told Jesus gave a "hard saying" to His followers, and that the result of it was that "many followed Him no longer." Is there a hard saying He can put to us that will bring about the same? I don't mean will it make us stop going to church or Bible study, or even stop tithing or doing church work. I mean a place where our undivided allegiance to Him is no longer undivided? Nik Larson, author of "The Insanity Of God," says of his seeming impossible ministry in Somalia, that he had to decide if he would "Walk with Jesus in hard places? Knowing Jesus, loving Jesus, following Jesus, living with Jesus." To such does He entrust Himself. Can He entrust Himself to you and me?

Do we walk with Him in hard places....painful places....impossible places? When all that is on the horizon is pain, hardship, great cost, do we still walk with Him? Can He give Himself over to us in trust? Can He entrust us with the testimony of who He is before a hostile world that is determined to crush that testimony? He knows those that He can do so with? He knows what's in a heart. What's in ours?

Blessings,
Pastor O