John 4:47-50 -- Having heard that Jesus had come back from Judea to Galilee, he went to meet Him and began asking Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. 48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you [people] see [miraculous] signs and wonders, you [simply] will not believe.” 49 The royal official pleaded with Him, “Sir, do come down [at once] before my child dies!” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son lives!” The man believed what Jesus said to him and started home.
This official walked seventeen miles, driven by desperation for his son and the hope Jesus could do something. He finds Jesus and begs Him to come heal his son. Jesus doesn't respond how we think He should. He gives a rebuke; "Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.". We see in the Greek the "you" is plural in reference to the Jewish people.
We hear this through our temporary human lens as harsh. What we miss is the perspective of just who this official was standing in front of. This is the Son of God, The Word, He who has been from before the beginning of creation, the Way, the Truth, the Life. Jesus knew there was something this man and his family needed far more than just a temporary healing. They needed the life-giving water found only in Him.
We find this doesn't end with a rebuke though. The official presses deeper in to beg Jesus more. He just needs Jesus to come heal his boy. Jesus responds, but in a way that confronts the official very deeply.
John 4:50 -- Jesus said to him, “Go; your son lives!” The man believed what Jesus said to him and started home.
This man traveled seventeen miles on foot to bring Jesus back with him. Does he REALLY TRULY have the faith to take Jesus at His word alone? If he walks six hours home without Him and his boy is still dying, there'd be no time for a return trip. He had to decide right now if his belief would be in what he could see or if he would believe in Jesus and His words.
He made his choice; "The man believed what Jesus said to him and started home.".
Christian, if you come to God looking for miracles only, what happens if He doesn't respond how, you feel or think He should?
What will you do if God confronts something in your life, instead of performing the miracle we need or want?
Will it cause you to walk away, frustrated and defeated or will you let it drive you to push deeper into Him, into His Word, into prayer, into who He is?
Being confronted by Jesus, by the Word, is not easy and it's not comfortable, but it is necessary to bring us to a place where we realize there is a vast difference between believing in what Jesus can do and believing in who Jesus truly is.
You are loved. You are prayed over. You are not alone.
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