Faith made sight.

Faith made sight.  John 4:46-53                                                              

This appears to be a matter-of-fact recounting of ho-hum storytelling, but it is far more than that.  Please do not read God’s Word to rush through it and check a box; read it so as to understand more about Jesus, and more about what God has in mind for us to know … what he wants to stick to us, what he wants to quicken us, challenge us, and grow our faith.  In the desert, God gave the Israelites manna to feed and sustain them daily; while we yet live, the written Word is our manna.

God, supply us with your divine understanding as we read what your servant John wrote:  ~  “Then He went again to Cana of Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. There was a certain royal official whose son was ill at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and pleaded with Him to come down and heal his son, for he was about to die.

Jesus told him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”

“Sir,” the official said to Him, “come down before my boy dies!”

“Go,” Jesus told him, “your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and departed. 

While he was still going down, his slaves met him saying that his boy was alive. He asked them at what time he got better. “Yesterday at seven in the morning the fever left him,” they answered. The father realized this was the very hour at which Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” Then he himself believed, along with his whole household.”  John 4.46-53

We do not know his name, but the fact is, this royal official, literally ‘king’s man’, exhibited great humility, traveling some 20-plus miles to seek out Jesus, a carpenter from Nazareth.   Of course, he had heard Jesus had made ordinary water into wine when he had last come to this town, and he was desperate for his dying son to receive healing.  Desperate needs lead to desperate, all-out measures because our hearts are committed ~ to whatever it takes.  So a man of power and prestige is reduced to begging because his beloved boy is languishing; nothing matters more than finding some way to save him. 

Jesus does not miss the gravity of the man’s need . . . but first, he must establish something--He is not interested in performing signs and wonders for the sake of being a miracle-worker; Jesus is interested in the hearts of men and women, so he flushes the man out with tough words, testing his mettle.   And without any sign, the official trusted Jesus that it was as He said--‘his son would live.’  He believed without seeing.  Those who believe without seeing are blessed– that was true of the father, who without a tangible sign, had faith that what Jesus told him was true—his son would live.   It is also true of you and me, as Jesus said, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Those who believe without seeing are blessed.” John 20.29

So, the proud man who humbled himself that day, and surely thought he would be taking the healing carpenter home with him to touch his son, turned to begin the long journey home, praying he had made the right decision—to go home alone, trusting, with no proof that anything had changed for his boy.  He would not have to travel too long, though, as men from home arrived to tell him his boy was well.  ‘When did this happen?  Can you tell me the time of day … well, can you?’  The master, no doubt, urgently pressed his men.   Coincidentally, it was the very time when Jesus had said, “Your son will live.”

Yes, oh yes, the man’s faith had become sight!  The One in whom he had placed his faith had been faithful—he had been right to trust him . . . Jesus of Nazareth.  As the woman at the well ran to tell the townspeople all about Jesus, I believe the father, the master of the household, assembled his family and servants, and told them what great thing Jesus had done--Jesus had healed his son.  Hallelujah! 

         He made sure they knew that Jesus not only does great things,

                        he is great, and worthy of our faith. 

                              He is worthy to be praised.

Amen.

Christine

PastorWoman.com