Post by M.R. Hagerty on Mar 10, 2023 3:21:37 GMT -7
John 4:39-54, Luke 4:14-20, Luke 4 14-30
39 From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all the things that I have done." 40 So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of His word; 42 and they were saying to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world."
43 After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee. 44 For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast.
46 Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was imploring Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe."
49 The royal official said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies." 50 Jesus said to him, "Go; your son lives." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off. 51 As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living. 52 So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." 53 So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives"; and he himself believed and his whole household. 54 This is again a second sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee. (John 4:39-54)
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Commentary
John 4:39-45
39 . . many of the Samaritans believed . . . because of the word of the woman . . . were asking Him to stay . . 42 "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world."
Notice the success of this witness. We see the kind of profound change that comes from a transformed life. This is real power in the spoken word. This is genuine transformation by the Spirit, the kind of change we long to see today. The key is not in practiced, fancy words, well-prepared ahead of time, but in knowing what the Spirit is doing and responding to it. The difference between success and merely mediocre results is in knowing the right things to say and how to convey them. This does not come by practicing sound bites. It comes by listening and discerning the Spirit’s voice as we encounter another person needing Christ.
Jesus remains in Sychar for two days because they compelled him to do so. A simple conversation at the well had resulted in the conversion of a whole town. And we must note that they are not riding on the coat tails of the woman’s experience. It is not like the visions and holy sightings, where one person experiences and everyone else wraps their faith around the place and the witness. The people themselves have now affirmed the things of God having heard the wonders of them personally.
43 After the two days He went . . into Galilee. . . 44 a prophet has no honor in his own country. . 45 . .the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast
Jesus now continues the journey he began – to go into Galilee. The citizens there welcomed Him, having heard and seen what He did at the feast. The feast here means the Passover where He had cleansed the Temple. Many of those who were at that scene are now back in Galilee and have heard he is coming. But in the midst of this journey, Jesus explains that a prophet is without honor in his own country.
His own country could mean the whole land, Galilee and Judaea. But we see here that He is welcomed in many places in the Galilee. This is then a reference to what is about to take place in Nazareth, his home town.
John 4:46-54
46 He came again to Cana . . there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum. . . . 47 he went to Him and was imploring Him to come down and heal his son . . 48 "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe." . . 50 "Go; your son lives." . . 51 As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living. . . 53 the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said . . . 54 This is again a second sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.
Jesus stops at Cana instead of going to Nazareth first, as was the case on His last trip. An official had come from Capernaum about his son, which, ironically, will actually be Jesus’ resting place in this excursion into the region. But this man has no knowledge of that and his son’s condition makes the meeting with Jesus urgent.
“Unless you people see signs and wonders . .”
This seems a very rough answer to someone in such need. We see all the evidence of his faith in Jesus to do what he asks. He has also come in person rather than sending servants, leaving his son in the care of others, not knowing even if he still lived. Why would Jesus characterize his plea as among those who seek signs and wonders in order to believe? Several commentaries suggest that Jesus was not unbraiding him about what he demonstrated in his faith, but in what he lacked. Jesus perceived the “manner” in which this man expected the miracle to be performed and this placed him among those who look for some sign that a miracle will be performed.
The man expected Jesus to return with him to Capernaum and there perform some visible mannerism, some sign or supernatural work that would give him the added faith that his son would be made well, even if only to be there and lay on hands. This is very subtle for us to comprehend because the man obviously had faith that Jesus could heal. But to some degree the proof was not yet in the pudding, and the man needed Jesus to be present in his home that this level of faith would be made complete.
This was a pattern of expectation among lesser divines. They would speak incantations, raise hands and shake, quaver the voice and do other signs designed more to impress than to heal. Hence, Jesus, in the man’s mind, must come and do His thing. That was the key to the man’s assurance.
Now this alone was not such a grave mis-step of faith. The man was exercising what he normally expected based on experience. But Jesus was, in fact, using this instance to also introduce something extraordinary, not only for this man to see but for all those watching. He would heal this man from a distance, never seeing him or touching him in person.
This is the element in the man’s faith that was lacking, which Jesus wished to expand in him. It was also the kind of faith He wanted all of God’s people to begin believing and using. The faith to heal by word alone.
“Go, your son lives.”
We don’t know how reluctantly the man may have moved next, whether his face was mixed with expressions half of faith, half of wonder or even some disbelief. But he did leave for home and encountered his servants with the news. The connection of the times - the hour between 1:00 and 2:00 PM - might be seen as a sign which bolstered his faith, but it was not of the same class as those things Jesus decried. The sign given the father was a validation after the miracle, not the kind of sign sought before a miracle that men might have a reason to believe.