John 4:49-54 - Healed

4:49,50

The official was no doubt feeling rather dismayed about all this. Now was not the time for a theological debate, he needed action! Jesus told him to go. Go is a command that Jesus often gives to us, and we usually do not welcome it. We rather someone else went! Or that things were done in a different way. But God commands us to go, either because He has or will give us the power to achieve whatever it is that needs achieving, or because He has already taken care of the matter. In this incident it was the latter case. Jesus announced that the man’s son would live. The official took Jesus at His word and departed. In fact he had little choice. He had put his trust in Jesus so to now refuse to do what Jesus said would have denied that trust. In fact it would have meant that he no longer had any hope, for Jesus was his only hope. We can find ourselves in the same quandary. We go to God for help, then do not get the answer we want. What do we do? Like the official here we have little choice. Just do as God says. We may not be utterly convinced, but that does not matter. Faith is not always glorious!

4:51-54

So the official went on his way, and while doing so his servants came out to meet him with good news that the boy was living. Often it is only as we take the steps of faith that God’s answer comes. We often have this daft notion that we have to feel full of faith. We don’t. There are times when we feel full of faith and peace, and these times are wonderful. But there are times when faith is mixed with doubt and uncertainty. What are we to do in those times? Act on the faith not the doubt.

The official inquired as to when the boy had got better and it was at precisely the time that Jesus had spoken to him. So the official and his household all believed. So we see that Jesus’ words about the people of Galilee needed to see a sign before they would believe were proved true.

This was the second sign Jesus performed in Galilee.