He knows

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

HE KNOWS

John 2:23-25

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name.   24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25 He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.

NIV

Several truths are revealed for us within this little vignette about Jesus. He certainly did miracles that are not recorded for us, as we are simply told some people saw them and believed in his name. But the hard truth for us here is about the fact Jesus did not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. Jesus knows the heart of each and every one of us. He created all things, and knows all things, which includes the inclination of our hearts. He knows if our faith is sincere or if we are hypocritical. Jesus knows who he can confide in and he knows who he cannot trust himself or his gifts to. Jesus knows each one of us; he knows our cares, fears perplexities, temptations, afflictions, desires and hopes. He also knows what helps us and what hinders us as well as our progress in a divine life or our declining from that divine life. He knows everything about our heart and how we approach our life in him. If we live with Jesus being a part of our life, spending the rest, even the majority of it serving our own needs, that might be a hypocritical life and would Jesus entrust himself and his gifts to us in light of our ways? But if we live our lives fully committed to him, putting all else aside, living humbly and low in spirit, knowing our sinful state and being at his mercy and grace, Jesus will indeed entrust himself to us and bestow his gifts upon us, pouring himself out for us. We might attempt to fool others about our spiritually, but Jesus looks into our hearts and knows our deepest thoughts. He knows who we really are and still he died for us. We need only recognize who we are, not trying to fool others or ourselves with illusions of spiritually. We are but sinners saved by grace. We certainly need Jesus. We need to come to him daily with a broken heart, seeking his influence in our lives. He knows.