The Second Sign

Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee. For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast, for they also had gone to the feast.

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!" Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!" Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." And he himself believed, and his whole household. This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

- John 4:43-54

In yesterday's reading (Could this be the Christ?), and that of the day before (Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst), we read about Jesus' passing through Samaria, and his talk with the woman at Jacob's well. She became the first evangelist. In today's reading, Jesus returns to Cana in Galilee.

Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee. For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast, for they also had gone to the feast. My study bible notes here: "Jesus' statement concerning the prophet without honor is reported in all four Gospels. His own country refers to Galilee (as John stresses: 1:46; 2:1; 7:42, 52; 19:19). Galileans were present in Jerusalem during the Passover, when He won many devotees because of the signs He performed (2:13-25). Because they gave Him only this minimal honor based upon their wonder at His signs, and not true glory based upon belief in His messianic vocation, He knew not to trust Himself to them."

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. This is the second of Christ's signs reported in John (see The Good Wine for the first) - and they are both in Cana of Galilee, Nathanael's hometown. Jesus had demonstrated, by identifying Nathanael from afar, that He could see at a distance (see Follow Me). My study bible points out that in today's reading Jesus now shows that He can heal at a distance -- "He can heal the unseen." It notes that "the royal (Herodian) official may be the centurion of Matt. 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10, although there are many differences between the synoptic story and the Johannine account."

And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." My study bible notes, "Once again, recognizing humanity's need for signs and wonders, Jesus manifests His power to reveal Himself as God. The Lord admonishes the Galileeans (in the person of this official), a people whose faith depends on 'signs and wonders' (Ex. 7:3 [LXX]; Deut. 4:34; Is. 8:18; Jer. 32:20). Faith based upon the miraculous alone is inadequate, but not unacceptable (see 14:11; 20:29-31). The Galileans, however, according to this account, lack authentic faith." It's interesting that both miracles or signs, so far, have come at the bidding of others. The first, at the wedding, was suggested by his mother's request.

The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!" Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!" Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." My study bible notes here: "The official approaches Jesus out of urgent need for his little son. Jesus gives the official no sign, but simply the command to go (v. 50) and the word that his child lives. But that is enough for the official to have faith. Thus, the official manifests true belief (unlike the people of v. 48). The seventh hour (v. 52) is about 1:00 P.M." In the synoptic accounts mentioned above - from Mathew and Luke - that we may compare with this story (although it is not certain they are about the same person), we are given to understand that the centurion is a good and faithful man. Although a Roman, he treats the local people well, and has built them a synagogue. In this respect, our account today concurs with the other synoptic stories: this is a man of true faith. Whether he is a Roman centurion or a nobleman of Herod's court, this makes John's second account of faith by those who are outsiders: first the Samaritan woman (here and here) and now an official connected with Rome.

So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee. My study bible says, "This is the third time the phrase your son lives is reported. The very word of the One who is the resurrection and the life (11:25) gives life as well."

In this second miracle, or sign, that we are given in John's Gospel, we have some important things to note. First of all, Jesus is reluctant to perform His miracles. They come at the request of others: in the case of the wine at the wedding in Cana, the request came from His mother. Jesus makes a statement first, indicating his disinterest: "What has that got to do with me and you?" is how the Greek text reads. In the case of today's reading, Jesus makes a clear statement which is disparaging in tone: "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." This has to do with faith: Jesus does not perform "signs and wonders" in order to convince anybody of his divinity. As my study bible notes above, He wishes for those who are capable of grasping who He is, and what His mission is to the world. Faith is something that comes from the heart. That is, from a connection inside of ourselves. Secondly, these early believers are outsiders. The Samaritan woman (from the readings of yesterday and the day before) is a clear outsider. For many reasons, it was shocking that Jesus should speak to her at all - yet He directly revealed Himself to her. Today we have an official of Herod's court. This is Herod who will have John the Baptist beheaded. Both Samaritans and anyone connected with Herod's court are more than outsiders: they are those who would be nominally repellent to the devout Jews one would imagine that Jesus' appeal would draw to Himself. They are not just outsiders, but they are those looked down upon and reviled. Yet, here Jesus finds faith. His signs are in the service of true faith. Couple this fact with this statement from John in our opening verses and we have a very distinct picture: For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. This faith is not something that comes from what is expected, awaited or already understood in some sense. The great faith Jesus has so far encountered - apart from those who are his disciples - has occurred among the outsiders considered unable or unfit to appreciate true religion. They are from among groups of people too reviled to be considered able to be properly devout. So, Jesus breaks down more barriers than we suspect here.

John's Gospel has already taken us way beyond expectations, and deeply into the nature and question of faith. Faith is not something that comes from belief in proofs and signs. A sign, as we have discussed earlier in John's Gospel, is not something intended as proof. It is, instead, something that points to a reality beyond itself, to the mystery of the Kingdom and the Incarnate God that is the Person of Jesus. In this sense, these signs have everything to do with faith, and we misunderstand them if we understand them only as some sort of proof of divinity. A sign is not for the faithless, but for the faithful, who will read it as their hearts understand it - that it points to a deeper Mystery and a greater glory than they are able to understand just in front of them. It is an opening up of the Kingdom to those who wish to receive it. Let us understand today, then, what we are taught here about faith: that the "Spirit blows where it wishes." We can't control nor predict where faith will root in the heart. It comes where it is least expected. And signs are for those with faith, not intending to produce faith where it doesn't exist, where relationship can't exist. As the Gospel said, Jesus did not commit Himself (we could read that "entrust Himself") to those who merely believed in the signs he did at the Festival. As we go forward in John's Gospel, we go forward and deeper into Mystery. We have much to learn.