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Wednesday
Jun 29th, 2022
By: Matthew Sink
The Gospel of John-Day 18

John 4:46-54 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where He had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to Him and asked Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

Don’t you wish there was an appendix in the Bible that told the rest of the story, like what happened to some of these people after the Bible story ended? What happened to Zaccheaus? What happened to Nicodemus? What about the Woman at the Wall, or the Woman caught in adultery? What about this guy?

This man came to Jesus in desperation? He must have tried everything he knew to try to save his son. Nothing had worked, and now the boy lay on the point of death. Could their be a more helpless feeling in the world then that of a parent watching a sick child slide closer and closer to the pit of death. There is no doubt this father was desperate when he came to Jesus.

But what happened later? After all, the man obviously understood faith. When Jesus accused him of seeking “signs and wonders,” the man was perfectly comfortable with something quiet. He just wanted Jesus to come quickly! Or just speak a word quickly. And when Jesus said, “Go home, he’ll live,” the man took Jesus at his word.

My question: what happened then? As odd as it sounds, faith is easier when things are upside down, and you are desperately looking for something to hold onto. In that moment, you don’t ask many questions – you just reach out. The true test of faith is what happens when things are going well: you are healthy and happy; you have money in your pocket; opportunities in your path; you’re on top of the world. Your faith flourished in the valley; can it survive wealth and comfort? Walking with Christ means daily recognizing your great need and reaching out to Him, knowing that every word He speaks is true.