the water into wine. At Capernaum there was an official, whose son was ill, and when he heard that Jesus had come from Judea
to Galilee, he went and asked him to come and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Jesus said, “Unless you see signs and wonders,
you will not believe!” The official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” And Jesus replied, “Go, your son lives!” The man had faith in the
word that Jesus spoke to him, and went his way. As he was approaching his house, his servants met him, and gave him the good news, “Your
son has recovered!” So he asked them at what hour the child began to recover, and they said to him, “The fever left him yesterday, at about one
o’clock in the afternoon.” And the father realized that that was the time when Jesus had told him, “Your son lives!” And he became a believer, he
and all his family. Jesus performed this second miraculous sign when he returned from Judea to Galilee.
Reflection:
At the plea of the official to heal his son, Jesus
expresses some exasperation, surprisingly so. Did he doubt
the genuineness of the faith of the official? It appears so. But the
man was too concerned with his son’s illness to debate anything
else. Jesus does not disappoint him, anyway. The evangelist
seems to believe that the man had faith. But did he, really? For,
if he had authentic faith, why did he have to ask his servants
for the exact hour of his son’s recovery? He had to match the
time of recovery with the time of his encounter with Jesus, to
finally believe. Until now he just carried his faith up his sleeves,
and now he lets it into his heart. So, at the end of it all, Jesus was
right in his sixth sense: the man would believe only after the
signs matched! Far more blessed are those who believe without
matching evidence!
© Copyright Bible Diary 2022