“Not easily put off”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Monday, January 22, 2024
John 4:43-54 (Forward, p. 85) CEV p. 1105
‘Something strange in the neighbourhood?’ This sentiment doesn’t just apply to something from the ‘Ghostbusters’ movies, but also to today’s passage from John’s Gospel. Jesus has just been with the people of Sychar, Samaritans all, and had seen a great outpouring of people deciding to place their faith in Him. Now, whether referring backwards, that is, in response to their evident faith, or forward, to the lack of faith He often saw in His home territory of Galilee, He said, “Prophets are honoured everywhere, except in their own country” (verse 44). Sad to say, this was true far too often!
But here’s where it gets ‘interesting’, for verse 45 relates that He went to Galilee immediately afterwards, where ‘the people there welcomed him, because they had gone to the festival in Jerusalem and had seen everything he had done.’ Now, to my skeptical way of thinking, this sounds amazingly as if He was actually being honoured!
Now, here comes another interesting wrinkle. An official from the royal court in Capernaum has come all the way to Cana to ask for Jesus’ help. His son is on the point of death, and he wants Jesus to heal him. Again, this sounds a lot like honour, honour bestowed on Jesus.
But now comes the ‘downer’: Jesus says to the official, “You won’t have faith unless you see miracles and wonders!” (verse 48). What a put-off or put down for this seemingly earnest man! Interestingly, however, in both cases here where ‘you’ is mentioned, it is in the plural form. So, apparently, Jesus is not singling out this one man or targeting him with unbelief but commenting on the general state of affairs.
Anyway, the man is not in the least deterred or put off by these words from Jesus. He has come all this way to get results and is determined to get them and so he basically dismisses what Jesus has just said about the lack of faith, and blurts out, “Lord, please come before my son dies!” (verse 49). Impressed by the man’s determination, not to mention his faith, Jesus then tells him that his son is now well and tells him that he can now go home.
I find this man to be greatly stimulating—and challenging. Here is someone who is not willing to be put off or denied in terms of his request of God. He is not willing to give up, at least, not easily. This is where I find it challenging. My guess is that many of us will pray to God, but then, having received little or nothing by way of response, will simply give up on it. And then, lacking any sense of expectancy, don’t even see the result when it comes. And so, my challenge for myself, and all of us, is not to give up, not to be easily put off, even as our official wasn’t.
Forward notes: “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe” (verse 48).
“Ever seen a miracle? Perhaps you think miracles only look like what Jesus did in this passage, the incredible revival of health for a very ill boy. Jesus tells the father after he begged Jesus to save his son, ‘Go, your son will live.’
“God is a giver of life and a miracle worker in all aspects of our lives. This is the same God who wakes us up each morning, who breathes new life into dead marriages, broken spirits, and wounded souls. This is the same God who plants seeds of opportunities for hope and help and grace into seemingly infertile situations and banishes temptations and enemies by giving us the will and power to say ‘Go?’
“With God, a once-silenced laugh can now erupt from our bellies. And with God, love appears in the most unexpected places, bringing buoyant life like oxygen to our lungs. Miracles surround us every day. Look for the signs and wonders and believe!”
Moving Forward: “Look for miracles, big and small. And praise God!”