John 4:43-54 CSB
After two days he left there for Galilee. [44] (Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) [45] When they entered Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him because they had seen everything he did in Jerusalem during the festival. For they also had gone to the festival. [46] 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. [47] 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, since he was about to die. [48] Jesus told him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe." [49] "Sir," the official said to him, "come down before my boy dies." [50] "Go," Jesus told him, "your son will live." The man believed what Jesus said to him and departed. [51] While he was still going down, his servants met him saying that his boy was alive. [52] He asked them at what time he got better. "Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him," they answered. [53] The father realized this was the very hour at which Jesus had told him, "Your son will live." So he himself believed, along with his whole household. [54] Now this was also the second sign Jesus performed after he came from Judea to Galilee.
Not Accepted
How great the Light of the World shines! This light draws those whom the world rejects—those the world sees as “less than,” the ones who are shunned, the poor, and the castaway. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians that those drawn to a saving faith are often not wise by human standards, not powerful, and not of noble birth. Believers may be considered foolish and weak by the world’s standards, but we possess a treasure worth more than all the jewels or gold on this earth. Our faith saves our souls—and what is a soul worth? A soul is beyond cost.
As Jesus traveled from place to place, shining the light that saves the soul, many rejected the gift because they could not see past their own judgmental attitudes. “Jesus is only a carpenter’s son!” they would shout in unbelief. “We know his family! Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” They even tried to use Scripture to justify their blindness, saying, “Search and look… it does not say a prophet will arise out of Galilee.” The world insulted Jesus and those who followed Him then, and it still does today.
Before moving north, Jesus talked to the woman at the well, showing Himself as a personal Savior concerned with her deepest needs. As a Samaritan, she was someone Jewish believers would typically shun. In fact, many would take the long, hard route around Samaritan land just to avoid them. But we see Jesus walking straight through Samaria because His light shines for all. We see the fruit of that labor in John 4:40-42, where the Samaritans asked Him to stay. They moved from hearing a report to meeting the Lord face-to-face, finding a personal faith that saves.
Jesus then continued north to Cana. While Cana had a strong Jewish presence, the region was also called “Galilee of the Nations” because of the many Gentiles living there. Approximately twenty miles away was Capernaum, an active fishing village and a seat of Roman occupation. This was the place Jesus called home and his base for ministry. Here, the Light was truly shining to the Gentiles.
However, many in Galilee flocked to Jesus not because of the saving faith found in Samaria, but because of the miracles. They had heard about the water turned to wine and saw what He did in Jerusalem at Passover. To require signs from our loving Father before we will believe is insulting; it is an attempt to make God a slave to our demands. A crooked generation seeks after a sign, but the simple faith of a child is what pleases God. Jesus told the royal official, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” My prayer is: Loving Father, help me to have the faith of a child, not to look for a sign.
We read of many miracles in the Bible—the lame walk and the blind see. These miracles are given so that people might believe despite ourselves. How great it would be if we did not need them! Our loving Father works with our doubts and fears to bring us to Him. Godly miracles are not a magician’s trick or sleight of hand. Jesus spoke, and miles away, healing occurred. He answered the royal official’s request in a way that demanded the man’s personal faith. This is the same faith required of us today: to please God is to have faith and not doubt. James warns that the one who doubts is double-minded and should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Lord, help my unbelief.
Reflection Questions
- Why do you think Jesus responded so sharply to the official at first? Was He testing the man’s heart or the crowd’s motives?
- The official believed Jesus’ word (v. 50) before he saw the result. Is there an area in your life where you are waiting to see a result before you trust God’s word?
- The official’s whole household believed because of his testimony. Who in your “household” (family, friends, or coworkers) needs to hear your “come and see” story today?
Prayer
Father,
We thank You that Your light shines in the dark places and for the “shunned” of this world. We confess that we often seek signs and miracles instead of simply seeking Your face. Give us the simple, unwavering faith of a child. Help us to trust Your Word even when we cannot see the healing yet. Lord, we believe; help our unbelief.
Amen.
