Divine Trust

“I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim's shoulder;
when he opens, no one shall shut,
when he shuts, no one shall open.
I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot,
to be a place of honor for his family."

Isaiah 22:22-23

Have you ever told someone you trusted them? Or has anyone ever shared with you that they trusted you? What does “I trust you” really mean? In this Sunday’s readings we hear of two instances where trust is placed upon someone. The Lord will take what is Shebna’s and give it to Eliakim, giving the robe and the authority that was once his to another. Then we are told that even the key of the house of David will be placed on Eliakim’s shoulder, rendering him the gatekeeper, a position that is likened to the second in command, the one who acts in the place of the master. Isn’t that what we are really saying when we tell someone “I trust you?” Of course, with humans there are varying levels of trust — some people we trust with simple things but others we would trust them with our children and our lives — but at its core, to trust someone is to say to them, “We share this relationship and I am willing to give [a bit] of myself to you.” To those in power when we say we trust your secretary or representative you are saying “I trust that when they see you they will see me and all that I stand for.” This is very true in the encounter we see in the Gospel reading today.

After confessing who Jesus is to him, Peter then receives the surprise of his life. Jesus tells Peter that upon him will He build His Church and that He will give to him the keys to the Kingdom. A great honor and a tremendous responsibility at the same time. Here Jesus is making Peter the gatekeeper and His representative here on earth. Hence Peter is known as the first Pope, the pope being the “visible head of the Church” and the “Vicar (representative) of Christ.” Jesus gives to Peter the power to bind and to loose, and likewise the Pope today as the power to bind and to loose, but always in line with what Christ has taught and instructed.

The interesting thing here is that Jesus places such great trust in a sinner, someone who would flee and deny Him. We might ask ourselves “Why would Jesus choose Peter and put His trust in someone who would do that?” That is because our human understanding of trust is a bit different from the trust that Jesus placed in Peter and in the trust He places in us. When we put our trust in someone, we do so because we see some degree or measure of “worthiness” or “dependability” in the other person. However, with God, when He puts His trust in us, He does not do so after weighing our strengths and weaknesses. When God trusts, it’s actually not really about us at all. When Jesus placed His trust upon Peter, He was not saying “Peter, you have proved to be trustworthy and so I bestow upon you this great honor.” Rather, Jesus was really saying, “Peter I am placing this trust in you so that my Father might work through you for the greater good of the people.” When God trusts, it’s never about us or our ability, it’s always about what God will do through us. God’s trust never fails because it is not rooted in us, but rather in Himself, Who is trustworthy. God’s trust is not based on our worthiness but rather on God’s very nature. He chooses us not because of our worthiness or because we have somehow merited His trust, but because of the great things He will work through us.

So, today, as we reflect upon our own lives and where God has led us, let us try to see the trust that God has placed in us and ask Him to continue to give us the grace to allow Him to work through us. May we never forget that God has called each one of us and chosen each one of us for a special purpose, a purpose that is sealed with His trust, a trust that never fails.