Alive & Well
John 4:43-54 (May 6)
After two days in the village with the Samaritans, Jesus went into Galilee. He was surprised when they welcomed him because he had said that a prophet is not usually honored in his hometown.
Why is that, do you think? Is it because those in our hometowns knew us when we were just another person on the street, so they see us in a different light than strangers do? Something to ponder...
Anyways, Jesus is roaming the streets of his old stomping grounds when he met up with a government official who had an extremely sick son. The man begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.
At this point, Jesus had only performed one miracle... remember all that water that miraculously turned into enough wine to keep the party going? Even that miracle he had been reluctant to do.
Yet here is a man begging him for another one. Why did this man think that just because Jesus turned water into wine, he could heal a dying boy? Those really are two different things.
This man reminds me of myself in some ways, and maybe you can relate as well. My husband is good at a lot of things. He is handy with tools, he is artistic, he excels with his culinary talents. Because he is so good at so much, I have high expectations. Whenever anything is broken or goes wrong, I operate under the assumption that he will fix the problem.
I go off my own expectations, forgetting that he has limitations. I am often like that man we read about today.... asking him to "fix it".
Jesus seemed a little frustrated, saying "Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?"
Would this man have even approached Jesus if he didn't need something from him? How many times are we valued, not for who we are, but for what we can do for someone?
But Jesus, being all goodness and grace, assured the man that his son would make it. "Go back home. Your son will live!"
Ah...the goodness of our Lord is so amazing! His gifts are so awesome and his love so great. He overlooks our self-focused hearts, our greedy wishes, and our desperation. He works through our doubts and fears, and brings us out the other side just like he did that boy...Alive & Well.