Your son lives

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, we read about the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. We first read about her on Wednesday, when Jesus began speaking to her as He awaited His disciples at the well. He spoke to her of the living water He could offer, and she asked Him, "Where then do You get that living water?" In yesterday's reading, we read that His disciples returned only to be dumbfounded seeing Him speaking to this woman. She left the well and went and told all the people of the Samaritan town that she met a man who told her all she ever did. Could this be the Christ? His disciples told Him that He must eat, but He said, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." The disciples wondered if anyone else had brought Him food, but Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors." Many of the Samaritans of that town believed in Him because of the woman's testimony, and they asked Jesus to stay with them. Then, through their own encounter with Christ, many more believed. They said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."

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. Jesus' statement that a prophet has no honor in his own country is reported in all four Gospels. Jesus' own country is Galilee. At the Passover in Jerusalem, many people from Galilee saw His signs. But John's Gospel has already told us that "Jesus did not commit Himself to them." My study bible says, "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. 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. We recall the wedding at Cana from an earlier reading, the account of Jesus' first sign. Cana is Nathanael's hometown, and Jesus' mother and many relatives were at that wedding. Thus, He is coming home to His own country. The account of the nobleman's son bears similar notes to stories in other Gospels, but the details are somewhat different. What we understand is that there is a nobleman (a ruler or royal official) who travels to find Jesus, to help heal his son.

Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." Jesus' statement once more reflects a kind of perplexity, and hints at exasperation. He doesn't want faith that comes from simply being convinced by "signs and wonders," but a different kind of love between Himself and His followers.

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. My study bible points out that this is the place where Jesus knew Nathanael from afar, and here He heals from afar. It's the second sign in John's Gospel. What we see in this official or nobleman is a deep concern and love for his son - not a mere preoccupation with signs and miracles. There is something more to it; in his depth of concern he comes to Jesus for help with what he loves most in the world. This is a kind of sharing between friends, not merely asking for wonders and proofs. The official has faith in Jesus' command. Thus, unlike the people, my study bible points out, this official displays a true faith. The seventh hour is about one o'clock in the afternoon. "Your son lives" is repeated three times. My study bible notes: "The very word of the One who is the resurrection and the life (11:25) gives life as well." That the ruler's whole household believed is also a testimony to the authenticity of this particular faith. Often we will find relationships a binding component of this faith.

In this story we are struck by one thing first, and that's the great love that the father has for his son. He comes to Jesus not because he's just looking for a miracle or a wonder, but out of love. His great passion here is in the care of his son, and Jesus is the Friend to whom he turns for help. It doesn't matter what the size of the help is that he needs, Jesus is the one he turns to. And that's the start of faith. Love is really the start of faith, and faith gives us and teaches us what love is. It's really that essence of faith that we come down to when we get to know Christ. If we're looking for dazzles and wonders, then we haven't really come to the right place to know faith. If we come from love, we're on the right track. What our heart loves best is where we start to find faith. It all depends on the depth of what is truly within us. And so, the man comes, full of love and care, and caring about nothing else. Long distance, he believes in the word of Jesus that "your son lives." Faith is a trust and a bond. It is that which moves mountains because it moves us to acts of devotion that know no bound. This is the second sign in John's Gospel. Let us remember the great love of this father, and his capacity for faith. It echoes that of St. Joseph, and his own love and care of the child entrusted to him as earthly guardian.