Waiting On A Miracle

The healing of the royal official's son.

Today we’re reading about the second of Jesus’ seven signs in John - the healing of a royal official’s son.

This healing is one of the few where Jesus did not go and see the person. He said the word and it was done. This places a particular element of a journey of faith for the one requesting help. Put yourself in the official’s place: he had apparently heard of Jesus’ ability and believed he could ask for his help. And so he did ask. But he asked Jesus to come with him to his home.

But rather than go with the man back to his home, Jesus simply told him to go home - that his son would live. Some might question such a word. But the official did not. He believed and went. And upon returning home, he discovered his son was indeed healed.

You’re more than likely familiar with asking for something that does not happen right away. (This doesn’t even touch all the things we hope for that do not have not yet come to fruition!). This is part of the journey of faith, right?

God is not a vending machine and Jesus did not come merely to perform miraculous signs. He came to bear witness to God for the salvation of the world.

John 4:43-54

After two days Jesus left for Galilee. (Jesus himself had testified that prophets have no honor in their own country.) When he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him because they had seen all the things he had done in Jerusalem during the festival, for they also had been at the festival.

He returned to Cana in Galilee where he had turned the water into wine. In Capernaum there was a certain royal official whose son was sick. When he heard that Jesus was coming from Judea to Galilee, he went out to meet him and asked Jesus if he would come and heal his son, for his son was about to die. Jesus said to him, “Unless you see miraculous signs and wonders, you won’t believe.”

The royal official said to him, “Lord, come before my son dies.”

Jesus replied, “Go home. Your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and set out for his home.

While he was on his way, his servants were already coming to meet him. They said, “Your son lives!” So he asked them at what time his son had started to get better. And they said, “The fever left him yesterday at about one o’clock in the afternoon.” Then the father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son lives.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did while going from Judea to Galilee.

Psalm 30:1-5

I exalt you, Lord, because you pulled me up; you didn’t let my enemies celebrate over me. Lord, my God, I cried out to you for help, and you healed me. Lord, you brought me up from the grave, brought me back to life from among those going down to the pit.

You who are faithful to the Lord, sing praises to him; give thanks to his holy name!
His anger lasts for only a second, but his favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay all night, but by morning, joy!

Prayer

God,

Thank you for being the one who hears us when we call, even when we don’t yet see the answers we long for. Help me to trust in your word and your timing, even when the journey feels uncertain or incomplete. Teach me to surrender the need for control and to rest in the assurance that you are always at work for good.

May we see your hand in the small and the great, in what is immediate and what is unseen, and may our lives bear witness to your faithfulness. Strengthen our faith, that we might bear witness to each other and the world all around.

By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.