The Word God Spells

John 4: 43-54
Is 65: 17-21 / Ps 30: 2, 4-6, 11-13

And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken to him, and started on his way.
(John 4:50)

All it takes is for us to believe,
Don’t let doubt be an obstacle;
Those who ask God in faith will receive
The power of His miracle.

When the two days were over, He went from that place to Galilee (for Jesus Himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country). When He came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed Him, since they had seen all that Jesus had done in Jerusalem at the festival; for they too had gone to the festival. Then He came again toJesus Heals an Official’s Son Cana in Galilee where He had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.’ The official said to Him, ‘Sir, come down before my little boy dies.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your son will live.’ And the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, ‘Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.’ The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live.’ So he himself believed, along with his whole household. Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee. (John 4: 43-54)

Reflection

Instead of demonstrating His miraculous healing power to the nobleman by going with him, Jesus did something even better: He invited the father to believe in His word by saying, “Go; your son will live.” And as the narrative goes, “The man believed the word that Jesus had spoken to him, and started on his way” (Jn.4:50). Then, when his servants informed him that his son had recovered, it was not due to any doubt that he inquired about the time this happened, but because he wanted to exult in the instant fulfillment of the Lord’s promise. “I will show them My saving power.” (Psalm 91:16) This led to the pagan nobleman’s immediate conversion.

Today’s Gospel reading shows us that the spoken Word of Jesus was more powerful than His actions, because not only was the son healed, but his father and the entire household of the nobleman was converted as well. After all, “The Lord’s word is true; all His works are trustworthy. . . By the Lord’s word the heavens were made. . . He spoke, and it came to be, commanded, and it stood in place” (Psalm 33: 4,6,9). This is how miracles in our lives happen. It is simply a matter of taking God at His word. And His Word can live in our hearts if we meditate on them and if possible, even memorize them. There are many promises of God in the Bible that can put our anxieties to rest if we but believe them. Read Psa. 91 for protection; Mt.6:25-34 for God’s provisions; Lk.11:9 for assurance of prayers answered; Prov.5:15-23 for guidance against adultery; and many more. It’s a virtual treasure trove of wisdom.

During this Lenten season, let us spend more time reading the Bible, that we may fully understand that God wants to heal our soul more than our physical ailments. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 15:13).

Thank You, Lord for making us see that it is not miracles that can change our hearts, but the truth of who Jesus is, and why He came, as we read them in the Bible. Amen.