Trust and human nature

When people saw the miracles Jesus performed and what he was doing, many ‘believed in his name’ (John2:23). ‘But,’ John tells us, ‘Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need human testimony about them, for he knew what was in people’ (vv.24–25). It is surprising to read that Jesus did not immediately trust these people – especially when we read that love ‘always trusts’ (1 Corinthians 13:7). Jesus is realistic about human nature. We tend to look for the perfect spouse, perfect parents, perfect children, perfect friends and the perfect church. But these don’t exist. All of us are flawed human beings. Recognising this helps us to be more realistic and less disappointed and more forgiving in our relationships. We need the wisdom of Jesus in our dealings and in our relationships. We need to balance openness and loving trust with the wisdom and understanding of the human heart.