"Go" When Belief Becomes Faith

This morning I was reading the following verses - John 4:45-53 NIV:

[45] "When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there. 

[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 do like this story for a few reasons. First, the man was desperate enough to track Jesus down, and travel 20 miles to do so.  This was not as trivial an effort, as John makes it seem.  Secondly, Jesus seems to confront the man and challenge his beliefs, but the man just totally ignores the challenge and repeats his request.  His request is full of expectation and belief, but he wasn't there to talk about that, his son was sick and close to death!  

I am so appreciative of Jesus' understanding and dealing with the man and his concern.  He didn't chastise him, didn't question him, didn't require anything of him, these are all things that we can be told by religion  that are necessary, instead He tells the man His son will live.  That statement is enough for the man, and he "takes Jesus at his word" even though we don't really see evidence of Jesus healing from a distance previously!  In this case the son was 20 miles away.  In confirmation of his faith in Jesus the man departed.

I was just noticing something, Jesus healed the boy at 1pm, and a 20 mile journey was a whole day's journey, if by foot.  We don't know for sure that the man went to Jesus on foot, but if He did that meant he left very, very early, or even the day before.  Since a horse could make that journey in 5 hours, its possible that he left first thing in the morning, but then he should have been able to complete the trip back home that same day... so I think walking was his likely mode.  We don't know much else, but I can conjecture, that his trip to Jesus was as fast as he could go, and that his return trip was less so, for a peace had settled over him on Jesus proclamation.

There have been times where I knew the Lord was moving, where I had some promise, some faith-filled knowledge that the Lord was going to move, and I can say, peace does accompany that knowledge.  I usually don't know exactly how He is going to move, but the knowledge that He will and that He is good is enough.  I then spend the following days in excited anticipation and I am sure there was some of that in the man's heart, and the statement by his servants confirmed his belief, and his whole household was impacted.  

I was just looking back at John's recording of the story, and I wonder if the "Go" was doubly effective?  I wonder if Jesus was commanding the fever, and at the same time giving direction to the man?  If so, one would think that people felt the authority of that single word, for the command of Jesus is world changing!  

Finally, I was thinking again about Jesus and His willingness to be interrupted.  He was clearly teaching or ministering, for there seems to have been people around him when the man found him.  The Lord is never too busy for us, for our pleas, our prayers, our needs. He is about many things, but He is never bothered by us.  He might not respond the way we think (clearly in this case the man thought He would come with him) He should, but He will respond, sometimes in ways that completely change our experience of Him.  He is always the creator, and always creating and creative.  He does care about our concerns, our family members, our children, and our households.

Thank You Lord for Your word and attention!

Amen and Amen!