Is there anything worse than when your child is sick?
It is a horrible thing to watch your kid suffer through pain
and sickness. But imagine a situation that turns for the worst. He is on the
brink of death.
That is the situation we find the Royal Official in. I am
sure, like any parent, he would have tried everything he could: doctors, medications,
naturopaths, chiropractors, you name it. If there was a healing modality, he had
tried it. But sadly, even with his high position, and probably the best doctors
available, his son was dying.
What was he to do? He hears of the man that turned water
into wine visiting a town nearby. He sees this as his last resort. His son does
not have much longer. So in a moment of desperation, this high official humbles
himself and I am sure with tears in his eyes, asks Jesus to come back home with
him and heal his son.
Jesus answer may surprise us. He said to him, “Unless you
see signs and wonders you will not believe.” Jesus is challenging this need to
SEE and believe. He was just with the Samaritans who put their faith in him
based on His testimony alone (no miracles required!), and in his hometown
nobody would take his word, they needed miracles! Would this man believe
without seeing the miracle for himself?
The man answers: “Sir, come down before my child dies.” He
is desperate. Jesus, please, just come with me.
Jesus is kind and caring, but still desires this man to
practice faith, "Go; your son will live.”
Will this high official practice faith? Even though Jesus
won't go with him and heal his dying boy before his eyes? Will he believe the
power of Jesus word to heal?
"The man
believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way."
The man believed that Jesus WORD was power. He put his faith
in His word. We are reminded of this
faith in Hebrews "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the
conviction of things not seen."Hebrews 11:1
This man, whose original hope was to see Jesus heal his son
before his eyes, put faith in Him believing that his word alone was powerful
enough to heal. And while he was on his journey he was met with his servants
with the glorious message that his son began recovering at the exact time Jesus said “your son will
live."
We are reminded of the power of Jesus Word. The very Word
that spoke the world into existence is the same word that is spoken and heals a
dying boy. His word is powerful.
So what was the result of this encounter with Jesus? Not
only did his son live, but "he himself believed, and all his
household." He did not only believe Jesus was a miracle worker, he now
believed that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah, the Rescuer. That is the
purpose of these miracles. John affirms this at the end of his book:
"Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." John 20:30-31
So what about you? Perhaps you have not seen a miracle in
person. Will you put your faith in the word proclaimed in John that He is
powerful? Even if your prayers go unanswered? Will you believe that He is the
Son of God and that there is eternal life available for all who put their faith
in Him?
Jesus brings this royal official to a place of complete dependence on Him. It can be a
scary place to be, but it is here that we see God’s power and redemptive
work. The official learned that in the end it was not his power or position that mattered, the
only One who can deliver us from death is JESUS.
*When Love Comes to
Town by my seminary professor, Paul Metzger, was a helpful resource in understanding much of the
content in the book of John.
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