April, 2007
A Father’s Faith
John 4:46-53
INTRODUCTION: There are times when a father’s faith makes requests of the Lord in the interest of his family. This happened in today’s scripture reading. The nobleman had evidently heard of the miracles that Jesus had performed at other places. When he heard that Jesus was only 20 or so miles from his home, he rushed to Him to ask Him to heal his sick son. At the outset his faith was only that Jesus could work a miracle and save his son’s life. But under the skillful hand of Jesus his faith developed more completely.
When we seek faith for critical times in our life, we need an example of faith. We need to know that in our own experience at least one other person had expressed faith. On Father’s Day there is no better place to turn for an example of faith than to this nobleman’s faith. Let’s see how this father’s faith worked to bring about healing for his son’s life at this critical time.
1. A Father Approaches the Lord in Faith: At the beginning, the nobleman’s faith was not spiritually motivated. He was not especially wanting to become a follower of Jesus. He was making a desperate plea for help. He had an urgent need, and he asked Jesus to go to Capernaum to heal his son. The significant thing here is that this father “besought him”--he DID approach Jesus. Too many times we don’t bother to approach the Lord for one reason or another. Even when we have desperate needs, we drag our feet and hope; but we really don’t move out to seek the Lord. Our approach to the Lord for help may not always be properly motivated, but God can take an imperfect approach and turn it into a perfect blessing. The Lord starts at our point of need. It might be for an urgent request for healing or some disaster in our life rather than for spiritual renewal or salvation. But this need was the starting point as seen by the nobleman. Do we even approach the Lord?
He believed God’s power when he approached Jesus. This man also showed that he approached the Lord believing in God’s power. He didn’t know a lot about Jesus, but he did have confidence in His power. Belief in the power of God may be the greatest thing we have in life. Moses believed in the power of God in the seemingly unconquerable obstacles. Through God’s power he led the children of Israel out of Egypt. It is difficult for the Lord to do anything for us if we can’t believe. If we say, “I don’t know if he will do it for ME.” “I don’t know if he does it today.” “I don’t know if he will do this particular thing.” We’ve got to believe in His power. This nobleman did.
Jesus gave him the opportunity to exercise his faith. The approach of faith accepts God’s opportunities. After hearing the nobleman’s plea for help, Jesus said to him, “Go thy way; thy son liveth” (verse 50). Jesus knew that the man wanted a miracle, the healing of his son, but he also gave him an opportunity to act in faith. The opportunity was to “go thy way.” It’s done. Had the father not turned around and gone home believing that Jesus had taken care of the problem, he probably would not have seen the answer. This father was very much ACTING in FAITH. I had never noticed this before. He didn’t continue to worry, wring his hands, or feel upset about it--he turned around and went home in faith knowing that the emergency was taken care of.
2. The Father’s Faith Grows: Faith begins at the miracle level (verse 48). At first this father only wanted a miracle. He would believe if Jesus would heal his son. Jesus chided those who would not believe without a sign because this was the lowest level of faith. This is the faith that must have proof through a visible sign or miracle. The faith that demands a guarantee is really no faith. But that is the point this father was at during this emergency. He did not have a really strong faith at that point. He was still struggling.
Faith began to grow, and it got to the place where the nobleman “believed His Word” (verse 50). The faith that can just accept Jesus at His word is a higher level of faith. At this point the nobleman didn’t know all about what happened or what would happen. He didn’t have a full blown faith for his son’s healing, but we see in the later part of the story that he was able to take Jesus’ word for it. He didn’t have to “see” the miracle. He accepted what Jesus said--Your son is OK. We don’t know if the nobleman thought that Jesus understood that the son was better through some kind of knowledge of how it occurred, but he did BELIEVE the Word that the Lord gave him.
When you pray for someone do you believe at the time you pray? Or do you wait to see if they are really better first before you believe and thank the Lord?
Calvin Coolidge’s father told of a characteristic his son had upon becoming the president of the United States. His father said that often when he had to go out of town he would leave certain instructions with Calvin Coolidge about things that needed to be done before he returned. And, he said, he never at any time when he returned checked to see if these things had been done. He knew without looking that they would be done because he could rely on his son Calvin to do them. Jesus is that trustworthy and even more so.
Faith reaches its height in simple belief in Jesus. (See verse 53). It is not all that complicated. The nobleman just believed. So Dads and Grandfathers, can you pray for your children and grandchildren and just simply believe that whatever it is you are praying for--Jesus is going to take care of it? Can you believe this even if you see no immediate change in the situation? I think the nobleman’s faith showed that. Yes, He can do this. Then begin thanking the Lord for sending His answer.
3. The Father’s Faith Enjoys Victory: Faith reached its victory when Jesus did what He said He would do. He healed the boy. Jesus was faithful to His word. At the same hour that Jesus said the boy was healed, he began to improve. The nobleman couldn’t send an e.mail or pick up the cell phone and ask, “How’s he doing?” But even though he didn’t see exactly what was taking place in this boy’s body, he just accepted it as done. Jesus had to convince the troubled nobleman that the most valuable thing he had to give was not physical healing but spiritual strength. God wants to take care of the needs we pray about, but he wants to give us even much more as we become close followers of His.
Let’s not just follow Him for the miracles.
Along with this son’s healing verse 53 indicates that not only did the nobleman become a believer in Jesus but his entire household did as well. Because of a father’s faith, a whole family came to have faith in God through Jesus Christ. Many children never see their father’s faith as this nobleman’s son did. But on this Father’s day, let me encourage you Dads and Grandfathers to allow your faith to grow. Pray for your children and grandchildren this week expecting the Lord to hear and answer. If you have teenagers who are rebellious, pray and continue to expect the Lord to do the miracle in their life. If you have grandchildren who are not in church, pray for them that the Lord will make it possible for them to become hearers of the good news. Then expect the Lord to not only hear but work out the answer. Begin to thank the Lord for doing it even if you don’t see the slightest indication that anything is happening.
No matter what else this nobleman provided for his son, the best thing was that day when he approached Jesus for a miracle and found the Lord quite adequate for all of his needs.
CONCLUSION: A father’s faith serves as a stirring example of faith for frightening times. The nobleman was frightened because his son, perhaps it was his only son, was at the point of death. He did everything he could for this son. He did not neglect the most important thing.
What does it say to us today?
1. Go ahead and approach the Lord whether you have small faith or great faith--whether it is when you are in a crisis or calm. Start where you are.
2. Allow your faith to grow.
3. Expect the answer to come.
4. Be that example of faith to your entire family. Live the life of faith.
Let us pray:
