John 4:46-54

We finish out John chapter 4 by looking at verses 46 through 54. Grab your Bibles, and read through those verses. If you have a moment, now is a good time to skim through the entirety of John 4, as I think this final story really ties together the central theme of the chapter. 

I began with the story of the Samaritan woman, and how she was brought to faith through an encounter with Jesus. Jesus goes on to explain how a life of faith, or worship, is shifting from an outward expression of atonement, to an inner AND outward expression of God’s Word and will. Following God’s will won’t always be easy, and oftentimes the fruits of your faithful life will only benefit the generations to come. One of the ways that believers can live out a faithful (better understood as faith-full) life is sharing their testimony. Just like the Samaritan woman’s story, one testimony is enough for the Holy Spirit to stir people’s hearts. 

If we read between the lines of this chapter, I think John is purposefully centering around these key questions: “What is faith?” and “What does faith look like?” Today’s passage tells us that Jesus makes his way into Cana, in Galilee, where He began His ministry by turning water into wine at a wedding. Jesus used a physical sign, or a miracle, to begin His ministry in order to display the validity of His divine nature claims. When He comes back to Cana, the people remember the miracle and welcome Him into the city. While there, a high-ranking official from Capernaum hears of the news of Jesus’ return. This official races to Cana in order to beg Jesus to heal his dying son. The text tells us the son had a deadly fever, but doesn’t clarify exactly what he was sick with. Jesus responds by saying, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe” (John 4:48). 

The generalizing words “you people” leads me to interpret that Jesus is talking about His miracle at the wedding in Cana. In an interesting twist, Jesus tells the man that his son will live! The official immediately heads home, trusting that Jesus’ words alone had the power to heal his son. When the father returns, his servants meet him a couple miles out to deliver the good news: the son is cured! The official does the math, and the time the son’s fever broke was the same time that Jesus spoke miraculous words of healing over his household. In fact, the text says that after this long-distance miracle, the official’s whole household believed! 

Sometimes, God’s will seems so clear, like His miracle at Cana. We are able to experience tangible signs that God is revealing His character, or that He wants us to go in a certain direction. Other times, like the official and his son, God tells us to go home, and let Him take care of it. I imagine that 20 mile walk, and how the official must have felt relying on only his faith that Jesus was Lord. The average human walking pace is 3 miles per hour, which means that without a horse or donkey, his journey may have taken more than 6 hours. 6 hours alone with his thoughts, fears, doubts, hopes, and hypotheticals, wondering if his beloved son was alive or dead. 

I think there is a big distinction being made between the miracle at Cana and the life of faith that is being displayed in John 4. At the wedding, Jesus used signs and miracles to inspire belief and bring glory to God. In John 4, Jesus used conversations, testimonies, metaphors, and statements to inspire belief. As believers, we should be aware of both methods of “communication.” Sometimes God confronts us with a loud boom, stopping us in our tracks. However, most of the time, we hear God in small whispers, in conversations with the Holy Spirit, and in the discernment of the people around us. The unique part of the official’s son’s story is that Jesus only uses a statement to heal him. Where the official might have been looking for a flashy miracle, Jesus gave him truth, and sent him away. This is what faith will look like most of the time! Let’s pray for God to reveal Himself to us, regardless of what that may look like, so that we can live a faith-full life.

Father, we pray for a faith like the official. Help us rely on you, and the things we know to be true about your identity. You are loving and just; comforting and strong. We may hear your will through small whispers, but we hear your identity loud and clear through the Holy Bible. Lord, we ask that you empower us to live out a faith-full life. Help us to trust in your perfect will, and follow it boldly. Like the official and the Samaritan woman, make our faith-full lives a shining example, a city on a hill, for the faith-less around us. Amen.