Q2, S07 Jesus vs. Self
Question 06:
Do You Trust Me?
As Jesus continued to travel, teach, and heal, crowds were continually being drawn to him. This seems natural. How could anyone hear about the things Jesus was doing and not make an effort to see for themselves?
It seems that Jesus was under constant scrutiny. When it came to the religious leaders of the day, they were scrutinizing Jesus because they wanted to get rid of him. But the crowds seem less antagonistic. Many appear to be figuring out what Jesus can do for them. They were looking for food or healing or for some form of help. Others seem to be wrestling with deeper hurts and issues as they approached Jesus. But across the board, everyone was trying to figure out what to do with Jesus: Who is he really?
For his part, Jesus was constantly leading his followers toward a decision: Who is he really?
In Matthew 16, Jesus asked his disciples directly: “Who do people say that I am?” They ran through the varying answers that people were giving to that question: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, some other prophet… Then Jesus put the question to his followers directly: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter’s answer showed that the disciples were beginning to understand what was truly going on with Jesus: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
That term “Christ” means “Messiah,” and that is an important term that ties the Old and New Testaments together. The Messiah was God’s chosen one, a king whom God would raise up to lead his people and re-establish his kingdom. The fact that Peter and the other disciples could see that Jesus was this Messiah shows the added significance Jesus’ ministry was having for them. In this stage, as the disciples were understanding more of Jesus’ identity, they would now be tested as to whether or not they truly trusted him. This means trusting that Jesus is who he says he is. But the test extends further as they must wrestle with what it actually looks like to trust Jesus in more and more ways.
This, of course, is a crucial question for us as we ask what it means to follow Jesus. Faith and trust are intricately linked. So if we truly want to sit at Jesus’ feet and follow him where he leads, then we’ll have to ask ourselves what it truly means to trust Jesus. And as we discover what it means to trust, we’ll have to ask ourselves whether or not we do, in fact, trust him.
Tool: The Journey
Our tool for this section is the Journey. In this diagram, there is a winding path. It’s not at all logical or straightforward. Everyone knows that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. So moving directly toward the destination is the best way to be efficient. It saves time and energy and gets right down to business. But the disciples had to learn that this is simply not how Jesus works. Efficiency does not seem to be a high value for Jesus. Neither does saving time or preserving energy. For Jesus, there is a real sense in which the journey is the destination. It’s not simply about where we arrive or when, it’s about what happens to us along the way.
Following Jesus often means stepping outside of the direct path. Think of the Good Samaritan who was praised for halting this journey to help someone in need or of the many times that Jesus was waylaid on his journeys because he stopped to heal or teach the people he encountered. Were these interruptions from Jesus’ ministry? Or were they the whole point?
We’re wired to pursue the course of action that seems most logical to us. To go with the quickest, most direct, or most efficient route. But trusting Jesus will always mean following in his footsteps, whether or not he deviates from the path you would have chosen to take. In this section you will look at the example of Peter, who was traveling across the Sea of Galilee in a boat, but ended up taking a detour by walking out onto the water to meet Jesus. That’s trust. You’ll also look at examples of trusting Jesus financially—whether in abundance or in need. Both instances require us to choose to follow Jesus’ leading rather than what makes the most sense or feels the most comfortable to us.
When we follow Jesus on the path he sets, the journey is often indirect. At times, it will seem we are wasting time, even walking in the wrong direction. We may actually find ourselves retracing familiar ground, ground that we have already covered. But this is where we will prove our trust in Jesus. We may think we know the right way to go, but are we willing to trust him when he leads us elsewhere?
Quarter 2, Session 7: Trust in Self vs. Trust in Jesus
DO YOU TRUST ME OR TRUST YOURSELF?
Passage
Luke 18:9–14
Matthew 14:22–33
Concept
This session falls under Jesus’ sixth question: Do you trust me? In this session, we will be examining two stories side by side. In the first, we see a Pharisee, confident in himself and his own accomplishments, thanking God for his own greatness. Meanwhile, a tax collector falls on his knees before God and simply asks for mercy. In the second story, we find Peter stepping out of a boat onto a stormy sea to walk with Jesus on the water. The question that arises is who we trust. Is our confidence in ourselves? Or do we actually trust in Jesus?
Key Question
Which attitudes, thoughts, and actions in your life suggest that you trust yourself more than anyone else? What would it look like to truly trust Jesus? Is there one step you can take right now to put that trust into action?
The Journey Tool
Do you see our Journey tool being played out in Luke 18:9–14 and Matthew 14:22–33? With whom? How so?
Trust in Self vs. Trust in Jesus
Fears and insecurities keep us from doing many of the things we dream of doing. Imagine being completely free of any fear. Imagine being complete secure, going through life without any concern over how other people will perceive you. How would your days feel different? Think about all of the second guessing and doubting that would be absent from your daily life. Think about the things you’d be inclined to try if you had no fear whatsoever.
It’s impossible to calculate the extent to which fear and insecurity color everything we do. Fear is a powerful force. Sometimes fear can paralyze us. But when we’re able to keep moving, fear ends up driving us to a savior. Who or what we turn to in order to solve our biggest problems reveals something crucial about our hearts.
In the two stories we’ll look at for this session, we see two alternatives to who we will trust. In Luke 18, we see a Pharisee whose trust is ultimately in himself. In Matthew 14, we see Peter taking a step of faith in the midst of a terrifying situation that reveals his trust in Jesus. It’s not about who you say you trust, it call comes down to who you turn to when things seem impossible.
1. Read Luke 18:9–14 and Matthew 14:22–33. Right off the bat, what strikes you about these passages? What do you find interesting or challenging or confusing?
Thank You that I Am Not Like _____________
In Luke 18:9–14, Jesus told a story of a Pharisee and a tax collector. The Pharisee stood apart from everyone else, and when he prayed, he thanked God for not making him like other people, who were sinners and outcasts. He made sure he reminded God of how well he was doing religiously—fasting often and giving money to the religious establishment.
On the other hand, there was a tax collector nearby. He didn’t have any accomplishments to list. He stood off the side and couldn’t even bring himself to look up toward the heavens. He pounded his chest and cried out, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
Which of these two men was better off? Jesus says that the tax collector “went home justified,” but if we’re honest, we’d probably have to say that the Pharisee is the one who would most likely be respected in our churches. He’s the one people would look to for guidance, the one people would ask to speak and lead. The Pharisee had his life together. He was doing things “for the Lord.” He had real actions to point to that showed his devotion. The tax collector had nothing going for him other than a desperate confession. And yet Jesus says that the one who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
2. What is the real difference between the tax collector and the Pharisee? Why does Jesus insist the tax collector is the right example here?
3. What factors or accomplishments in your life would you be tempted to point to if you were standing in the Pharisees’ shoes? (These will typically be the kind of things other people would notice and admire about you.)
4. Can you think of a time when your prayers sounded like the tax collector’s? What was going on at the time? How did God meet you in that?
5. How can you cultivate more of this mindset (the opposite of self-trust) in your daily life?
Peter Walks on Water
In Matthew 14, Peter made an odd move. When he saw Jesus walking on top of the water in the midst of a storm, Peter asked Jesus to call him out onto the water as well. Why should Peter be able to do this? The fact that Jesus was doing this miracle did not necessarily mean that Peter would be able to. And yet Peter could see through the eyes of faith a scenario in which he was standing next to Jesus on top of the water.
Perhaps it makes sense to us that Jesus can walk on water. But it’s another step of faith to believe that Peter can walk on water as well. In the passage preceding this story in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus first told his disciples to give the people something to eat. The disciples naturally said that this was impossible—after all, they did not have enough food—so Jesus’ response was to miraculously feed the crowds himself. But in light of Peter joining Jesus on the water here, could it be that had the disciples had faith, they may have been able to feed the crowds themselves? It seems just possible that Jesus was offering them an opportunity to tap into his power and do the miraculous feeding.
It takes faith to believe that Jesus can do something. But it may take even more faith to believe that Jesus can do something through you! Peter’s impulse was to trust that Jesus doesn’t simply want us to worship him, he also wants us to join him. It takes faith to recognize Jesus for who he is, and faith to trust that we can join him in what he’s doing.
6. Describe the situation in which you’ve had to trust Jesus the most. What was it like to trust him? What made it difficult?
Peter Begins to Sink
When Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, it seems he began to realize that he was doing something impossible. In this moment, his faith slipped and he began to sink. Faith requires us to trust Jesus. And trusting Jesus is impossible if we’re not looking to him.
If Peter could be standing on top of water with Jesus and in that setting lose his faith and start to sink, we will have the same experience. We will take steps of faith, and we’ll begin to see God do more through us than we can imagine. But then we’ll take our eyes off of Jesus and begin to lose our trust. This story is a great reminder that when we find ourselves sinking, it’s time to reach out to Jesus once again.
7. Have you ever wanted to join Jesus in something difficult or impossible, but held back for some reason? What was the situation and what held you back?
8. Have you ever seen Jesus doing something and actually joined him in that? What was the situation and what was your experience like?
The Point: Pursue Life WITH Jesus
As Peter stepped out of the boat, walked on the water, and then began to sink—was this event a success or a failure? It seems like a huge success that a human being was able to walk on water. But it seems like a failure when we see Peter sinking.
If life is about doing things correctly, then the story contains some initial success, but ultimate failure. This is true whether we think life is about learning principles from God and his word that we can then apply to life, or we think life is about doing the right thing in order to please God. But neither of these approaches is quite right. The point of life is really more about being with God. It’s not about performing, it’s about relationship.
Because Peter saw Jesus doing something and wanted to do that thing with Jesus, this story is a success. It’s a success because Peter joined Jesus. He trusted him and wanted to be with him, so he took a step of faith in order to be with Jesus in the things Jesus was doing.
The point is not learning a skill like being able to walk on water. The point is joining Jesus in what he’s doing. The point is loving and trusting him and because of that love and trust going out and being with Jesus.
One powerful takeaway from this story is to keep our eyes open for the ways we see Jesus working. If you see Jesus doing something, then it’s the right impulse to step into it and join Jesus.
9. Where is Jesus moving? What impossible thing do you see Jesus doing? How can you join him in that?
10. Spend some time in prayer. Ask God to increase your trust in him. Pray for eyes to see the ways in which God is working and for faith to join him in that.
Key Question
Which attitudes, thoughts, and actions in your life suggest that you trust yourself more than anyone else? What would it look like to truly trust Jesus? Is there one step you can take right now to put that trust into action?