This early morning I am reflecting on some verses from John 4. The beginning of this chapter is the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, which is one of my absolute favorite stories, but today I am focusing on the next story found in John 4:46-53 NIV:
[46] "Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. [47] When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.
[48] “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”
[49] The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
[50] “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”
The man took Jesus at his word and departed. [51] While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. [52] When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”
[53] Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed."
I am always intrigued by those verses that on first reading make it seem that Jesus was being a bit rude, as verse 48 above does. His answer is such a surprising response to the man's request for him to come and heal his son who is close to death. I imagine the man's anguish was great for him to travel more than 25 miles from Capernaum to Cana to find Jesus. Being a royal official, he might not have walked but might have had some conveyance, regardless it was significant journey. We learn later that the son had been healed at 1pm, which means the man must have left early in the morning, regardless of his mode of transportation. He finds Jesus, in his desperation, and begs for his son's life, and Jesus responds in a strange way, commenting on the people of the region rather than the need presented by the father.
I imagine there are two very distinct things going on, for there was likely a crowd of people gathered around, and there was this desperate father pleading with Jesus. The Lord operated with a perception much greater than most of us, and when He responded He was saying what the Father told Him to say, and was addressing not just the man, but the apparent lack of faith in the region. John had noted in the 3 verses preceding this story that Jesus had said that a prophet had no honor in his own country, and Jesus had been raised in Galilee (see John 4:43-45). Thus, we see a correlation between John's commenting on the lack of faith, and Jesus describing that lack of faith in the region, but also see Jesus giving the prescription for increased faith, the experience of signs and wonders. Where we like to read into the story a sort of negative response, I see Jesus setting the stage for increased faith and belief. While it seems like Jesus' first response was directed to the larger crowd of Galileans, not so much the man, I am sure Jesus was looking right at the man when He said this, for Jesus clearly dealt with the person in front of Him, just like He did the woman at well a few days earlier.
What I love is the man's response to Jesus' statement, he just asked again, almost like He completely ignored Jesus' previous statement. He wasn't offended by Jesus' seemingly lack of compassion. He just pushed right past the opportunity to be offended. He probably even recognized the truth of Jesus' statement in His own life. I think that is what Jesus was looking to see, the spark of faith, clearly deposited by the Father, coupled with humility and concern for his child. The man clearly had enough belief that he traveled 25+ miles, but one wonders what additional thing Jesus was looking for, and this dogged determination, this idea that Jesus would heal his son regardless of the distance He would need to travel, the inconvenience of it all, tells me the man knew the answer in his heart. Jesus would heal His son! He had hope and faith!
Jesus, operating in intimate awareness of the Father's will, then spoke the authoritative pronouncement, "Go, Your son will live!" John records it as a reply, and that it was, Jesus answered all the man's questions in 5 words. The man asked Jesus to come with Him, but Jesus replied, Go (as in I don't need to go with you). Secondly, the need was no longer there, for the healing has already been accomplished and his son would live. The man didn't need to worry further, or be concerned if he was gong to return in time, or any of that. John tells us that the man took Jesus at his word and left. I am sure that is a bit of an understatement, I bet the man was rejoicing the whole way home, for he knew in his heart that his son would live!
Finally John adds details about the outcome, that can only come from personal knowledge, for they occurred after the man left and was returning home. We are told that all the man's household believed and I believe that the man, or one of his household had come back and told the rest of the story. We find in this prologue the fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy earlier, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.” This man and his whole household did believe after experiencing the miraculous healing, which was worked from a distance of 25 miles.
This morning I am encouraged that Jesus knows exactly what I need, and there is no distance too great for the Lord to minister, in the Kingdom we all have direct access to Him. Secondly, I am encouraged to keep pressing forward, to not be offended if Jesus seems to have missed my proclamation of need, for He knows exactly what i need and when, and what I need to do is believe Him! Sometimes Jesus command is for me to, "Go!" and I need to take Him at his word!
Amen!
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