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Gospel of John 4:43-54
Now there was a
royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum.
When he heard that
Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea,
he went to him and
asked him to come down and heal his son,
who was near death. Jesus said to him,“Unless you people
see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The royal official
said to him,“Sir, come down
before my child dies.” Jesus said to him,
“You may go; your son will live.”The man believed
what Jesus said to him and left.
Signs Yesterday, my mother and I briefly chatted on the phone about the 5.1 magnitude earthquake that shook the Los Angeles area last Friday followed by hundreds of aftershocks. Having lived in the Bay area for many years, my mom experienced a couple of quakes herself! We discussed "signs" of when an earthquake is about to happen. Even with advanced technology it's still difficult to predict. Sometimes the only indication is when wild life suddenly behave erratically. Since nobody knows with 100% accuracy when the next major earthquake will happen, preparation is key. Buildings are constructed to withstand severe earth movement. People are drilled on emergency evacuation procedures. How foolish if Californians all of the sudden said: "We don't believe in earthquakes. They won't ever happen again in our life time. Show me a sign one will happen this instant!" Yikes! Well, I think past history says a lot about the future especially when millions of people live right on a fault line.
Wonders The Pharisees, scribes, and others constantly want to see "signs" in order to believe Jesus is the Messiah. What if they had blind faith? What if they just took the word of the crowds and immediately became believers, too? No, that would be too easy! We know conflict and dissension is part of God's plan.
What's interesting about Jesus healing the royal official's child is that he goes no where near the child. He doesn't enter the house, touch or speak to the child. All Jesus says to the royal official is, "You may go; your son will live." This is sharp contrast to Sunday's gospel reading where Jesus rubs blind man's eyes with his saliva and clay paste. Jesus is physically present and performing his miracle in front of others. It appears as if Jesus is beginning to distance himself knowing his life is about to dramatically change. People will no longer flood to him with kindness and compassion seeking miracles. They will want to seek his flesh and blood instead.
What if Jesus lived beyond his 33 years? What more could he have accomplished? We will always wonder "what if?"
Let us recognize God's gifts and blessings in ourselves as well as others. Let us use a little bit of imagination and wonder when it comes to building a better relationship with our Lord. Always believe no matter how bad circumstances get in life. There's something comforting about knowing God is with us through every step of the way. When the big and small tremors of everyday life hit, Our Lord is there to save us no matter what magnitude!
-J.
Signs Yesterday, my mother and I briefly chatted on the phone about the 5.1 magnitude earthquake that shook the Los Angeles area last Friday followed by hundreds of aftershocks. Having lived in the Bay area for many years, my mom experienced a couple of quakes herself! We discussed "signs" of when an earthquake is about to happen. Even with advanced technology it's still difficult to predict. Sometimes the only indication is when wild life suddenly behave erratically. Since nobody knows with 100% accuracy when the next major earthquake will happen, preparation is key. Buildings are constructed to withstand severe earth movement. People are drilled on emergency evacuation procedures. How foolish if Californians all of the sudden said: "We don't believe in earthquakes. They won't ever happen again in our life time. Show me a sign one will happen this instant!" Yikes! Well, I think past history says a lot about the future especially when millions of people live right on a fault line.
Wonders The Pharisees, scribes, and others constantly want to see "signs" in order to believe Jesus is the Messiah. What if they had blind faith? What if they just took the word of the crowds and immediately became believers, too? No, that would be too easy! We know conflict and dissension is part of God's plan.
What's interesting about Jesus healing the royal official's child is that he goes no where near the child. He doesn't enter the house, touch or speak to the child. All Jesus says to the royal official is, "You may go; your son will live." This is sharp contrast to Sunday's gospel reading where Jesus rubs blind man's eyes with his saliva and clay paste. Jesus is physically present and performing his miracle in front of others. It appears as if Jesus is beginning to distance himself knowing his life is about to dramatically change. People will no longer flood to him with kindness and compassion seeking miracles. They will want to seek his flesh and blood instead.
What if Jesus lived beyond his 33 years? What more could he have accomplished? We will always wonder "what if?"
Let us recognize God's gifts and blessings in ourselves as well as others. Let us use a little bit of imagination and wonder when it comes to building a better relationship with our Lord. Always believe no matter how bad circumstances get in life. There's something comforting about knowing God is with us through every step of the way. When the big and small tremors of everyday life hit, Our Lord is there to save us no matter what magnitude!
-J.
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