Running Toward the Danger: Trust

Dear Readers, thank you for joining me as “Running Toward the Danger” prepares for its next step. We have been looking at the ministry of Jesus through ficitonalized perspectives of those who were front and center, based on Scriptural accounts, and research. What began as a Lenten series has become an honest look at some of the powerful emotions, and their dangers, that most of us encounter during life’s journeys.

Each post has included its primary Scripture notation, a perspective, and questions for thought. My goal as a writer is to offer new insights into the ministry of Jesus as He chose to fulfill His Heavenly Father’s purpose for Him by running toward the danger for each of us . . . and to offer encouragment that He is with us as we confront dangers in our own lives.

John’s Perspective

TheDanger of Trust

Scripture Reference: Acts 1:6-11 GNT

Perspective

Have you been to the marketplace to buy grain lately? Or gone to see a farmer about purchasing a yoke of oxen? If you’ve been involved in any kind of bargain, the term, “caveat emptor” may have been posted, or at the very least alluded to. Simply stated, it means “buyer beware,” or in my brain, it translates to “be careful who you trust.” Is that ringing any bells for you?

Trust, not exactly a common commodity. It’s hard to earn, and easily broken. Maybe that’s part of what makes it dangerous.

Our Jewish culture promised us for centuries that a king, a Messiah, would rise up to “rule Israel in the power of the Lord” (Micah 5:4). As boys we were taught Scripture in the Torah, proclaiming the rise of a star, a scepter (Numbers 24:17), to rule Israel. We were trained to put absolute trust in the Torah, and in our families.

As sons of a fisherman, there was no doubting our fathers’ wisdom and skill. We fished the way our fathers fished . . . as their fathers, and their fathers before them. Sometimes the catch was good, other times, not so much. But still, we trusted our way of fishing.

Two things my brother, James, and I had trusted all our lives: a King was coming to rescue and rule Israeal, and how to fish. Then one morning this guy shows up. No greeting, no explanation, and yet He doesn’t ask, He expects us to trust Him. Common sense was screaming, “caveat emptor,” be careful who you trust.

Have you been at a point in your life, when things just didn’t seem to work in ways you had hoped they would anymore? It’s not the end of the world, but you’re ready to step out of the boat. That’s where I was that morning.

The whole fleet of fishermen was exhausted. We’d diligently fished all night in spots out in the sea that usually yielded enough fish to feed our families and make a living. We were tired and frustrated, ready to clean our nets, stow our boats, and drag our tired bodies home.

Further up on the shore, the guy is waving and yelling to us; He seemed very determined to get our attention. When we finally give it to Him, He hollers to go out into deep water again, and toss our nets in. (Luke 5:1-10).

Have you seen the movie where the head of a hiest crew tells a recruit, “You’re either in or you’re out?” As I recall, when the recruit begins to question and figure out the risks of the decision, the head guy says again, “You’re either in or you’re out.” That was kinda me in the scene with the guy on the shore: did I trust Him, or not?

Suddenly something snapped within me, and before I could think twice, I was jumping into the boat and heading to the deep. As crazy it seemed, the other boats were doing the same. And that moment of trust paid off, not just supper for that night, but for many nights, plus plenty of fish to take to the market. On the most basic level, the well-being of my family, the man Jesus, showed He could be trusted. Then He dropped the hammer, and said for us to leave everything in order to follow Him . . . and we did.

After a lifetime of totally relying on trust in the Torah and family without thinking, Jesus immediately began teaching and demanding trust at a much higher level. He was asking us to break away from everything we’d known and counted on. Jesus was asking us to run toward the danger of absolute trust in Him.

We’d only witnessed a few miracles when Jesus sent us out in pairs to surrounding cities to preach His message of redemption, and to heal. At first, the home boys, like me, thought a road trip sounded fun. Jesus promised to give us the power to heal, right?

Wait a minute, did we understand Jesus correctly? He expects us to heal people like we’ve watched Him do? Preaching, no problem, but healing? How does that work? What if we can’t and end up looking like fools, or worse being stoned for trying and failing.

From the moment at the shore, following Jesus was one brain shattering, heart wrenching lesson after another in trust. Remember the account of Jesus taking a beat before going to see about His close friend, Lazarus, and us getting there after he died? Arriving at the tomb, I think most of us felt like the bottom of the boat had suddenly fallen out. The trust Jesus had been growing within us seemed to wither and nearly die. Turns out, those lessons were only the preamble to what we had to learn, to totally embrace.

In all fairness, Jesus really did try to tell us exactly what to expect in the upcoming days. He’d spoken of it in veiled terms for a while. A few days after Lazarus rose from the dead, at our Passover meal in Jerusalem, Jesus spelled out exactly what running toward the danger of trust would be for Him and for us.

I won’t sugar-coat it. When Jesus was betrayed by that fink, Judas, then crucified, things got real ugly. All that hard-earned trust we’d held onto evaporated like mist on the water in noonday sun. Who among us was not devastated?

For three years we kept trusting that Jesus was going to emerge as a (warrior) King to reign over Israeal, and it never happened. What had our trust been built upon? Were we simply cult followers who’d seen and done a few amazing stunts? Little did we know payday for running toward the danger of trust was coming . . . Resurrection Day!

Question(s) for Thought

What makes a person trustworthy to you? What are some trustworthy traits you try to live by and reflect to others?