You Have (just) My Word
Sept 18, 2011 John 4:43-54
Intro:
What would you accept from someone else at just their word? A promise to meet up for coffee? – probably yes. A friend who needs $50 to make it to payday, but will pay you back as soon as he gets paid? – maybe yes, if you know they are genuinely in need and have honored their commitments well in the past; but maybe not if you have reservations. What about a promise to keep a trust in confidence? A marriage vow? What if a life hangs in the balance, then would you accept someone’s word at face value? What if it were your little child whose life hangs in the balance? None of us can really answer that question until we answer another question: who is it giving us their word? If a known gossip promises to keep a trust, we hesitate. When a man and a woman exchange vows of lifelong love and fidelity in front of God, family, and community, we believe. And if a respected medical expert says the disease is life-threatening but easily treated, and our child will be fine, we rejoice.
So then why is it difficult to take God at His word?
The Narrative:
The man’s wife called to him from the other room. Their young son, a boy of about 5, had woken up not feeling well. His head feels warm, don’t you think?
Yes, the father agreed, it does a little. Let him rest, I’m sure he will be fine. The father’s assurance helped the mother’s worry, a little. He finished getting ready for work and left, off to put in another day. He had a good job, a respected advisor in policy and finance. Although the decisions weren’t his to make, his opinions carried weight with those who did.
He checked in around lunch time, but the news was not good. The boy was getting worse, and the mother more concerned. Still, it was too soon to worry; the boy would recover. By dinner time the fever had set in, and now both parents were concerned. They did their best and made it through the night, but early the next morning sought medical attention.
The doctors had a look, and their level of concern heightened the parent’s anxiety. They conferred in hushed tones, and their prescription of we’ll monitor closely didn’t help. The father pulled some strings with those for whom he worked, and got some more doctors involved, but it made no difference, the answer was the same: keep the boy cool as possible, monitor closely, wait and see…
Days went by, the fever wouldn’t break. The two parents stood helplessly by, as did the doctors, but no improvement. The boy slept more and more, and during the few moments when he was awake lay there listless. Deep down, the parents knew he was dying. No matter how they begged, pleaded, prayed, the answer was the same: we are doing all we can, I’m sorry. It was time for desperate measures.
John 4:43-54 (NLT):
43 At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee. 44 He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown. 45 Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.
46 As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.
48 Jesus asked, Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?
49 The official pleaded, Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.
50 Then Jesus told him, Go back home. Your son will live! And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.
51 While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. 52 He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared! 53 Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, Your son will live. And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. 54 This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.
What if it was your son?
I told the story I did because of the question, what if it were your little boy? Would you walk 14 miles uphill on the basis of a rumor that a teacher who had once turned water into wine at a wedding in a remote village, and then made a big impression in Jerusalem, was back in town? Was it faith, or desperation?
Is there always a difference?
I understand when John tells us that the father went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son. He has probably been begging God for a week or more, he probably begged the doctors, he was no doubt absolutely willing to do anything, beg anyone, to see his little boy whole again.
I think we should embrace this kind of desperation when we see it. Of course, we don’t seek it or desire it for ourselves or anyone, but it seems to me that desperation is a place where faith becomes real. Everything else we have built our lives on falls away and is seen as meaningless – wealth, good looks, athletic ability, a great job, a vacation – if your son is dying, those things just don’t matter.
There comes a time, for most of us, when it will come down just to this: there is only God. Then what?
Jesus’ first response: vs. 48
What do you think of Jesus’ first response to this father come to beg for his son’s life? Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders? How do you hear that? Anyone?
Urgency, The Word, Belief: vs. 49-50
There is an urgency in the father’s response to Jesus. Consider the alternatives: he could have gotten mad at Jesus – he had travelled a long way, risked being gone when his son actually died, he has asked and begged, and besides, back in Capernaum he is an important guy, probably a trusted servant of King Herod himself. He could have listened to whatever nagging doubts he may have had and just resigned and walked away. But he doesn’t. This isn’t about him, it is about the little boy. So he pleads again, Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.
Then Jesus speaks. And this is where everything changes, even if the dad doesn’t see it in its entirety. But He doesn’t say what we expect, or what the father asked. The father asked Jesus to come to Capernaum; Jesus tells him to go home. Now, once again, I ask you to put yourself in the place of this father whose son is dying. You’ve begged, you’ve pleaded, and now Jesus tells you to go home. You aren’t going to get what you asked, which was for Jesus to come to Capernaum and heal your child. How would you feel?
Jesus gives him something to go on, the words your son will live. Most of the commentaries I studied talk about this in a way not really captured by our English translations – this was not just a little condescending phrase like oh, he’ll be fine. Rather, it was a word of power, of authority. One commentary suggested we translate it, your son lives! with a note of finality and strength, as a fact rather than feeble best wishes for a speedy recovery.
So now comes a second, huge, decision point for the father. The first was to leave his son’s bedside and seek out this rumored miracle-worker. The second is here: to accept the word, or to push for more; to keep begging, or to believe it. He chooses to believe.
What about you?
So now I want you to reflect on your life. What do you need? I don’t know if there are places of desperation like this man and his family, perhaps there are. Likely there are places in your life where there is a need for the word, the touch, the voice of God – whether that is about guidance in decision making, about our significance, about how we fit into this big world, maybe anxiety about the future or about relationships, or maybe even a nagging question about whether God even really loves you all that much.
We all need God. It is that simple.
Obedience first:
But now let me take you back to the Bible. What does Jesus say first? First comes the command, then the word of power, then the choice to believe. And only after the obedience and the acceptance and the choice to believe, in this case it is the next day, are the results known. The father had to obey. So do we.
See, I believe that God has already spoken most of the words we need for whatever we are facing in life. They are here, in His Word. But we’re not sure. It’s not so immediate – no flash of lightening, no mighty wind, no instant miracle. It seems like we hear the command, hear the promise, but keep standing there waiting for something else.
But that is not how it works in the story, or in life. See, the father has to choose to believe, and then he has to start out for home. He walks out of Jesus’ presence with nothing more than His Word.
I think that is the tough part.
We come to Jesus asking for forgiveness. He said, you are forgiven, go and sin no more, but we aren’t sure because we still have guilty feelings and consequences to face.
We come to Jesus asking if we matter. He said, you will be my witnesses, so Go and make disciples of all nations, but we stand still, shuffling our feet, not too sure if we believe.
We come to Jesus asking, deep down, if He loves us. He said, As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. But then we hold a mirror up and look at our reflection and say, really? Are you sure? Cause I’m not so sure I’m really that lovable.
Nothing changes while the father stands there in front of Jesus. He could have stayed there for another day, and still seen nothing different. But actually, it was already done. The moment Jesus spoke, it became reality. No different now for us than then for him.
Jesus proves it:
And we get to see that Jesus proves it. The father takes his second step of faith, believes Jesus and heads home. Has to stop the night because the distance is too great and the sun has gone down. How well do you think he slept that night? I bet he didn’t sleep much; I bet he still felt anxious; I bet he still had fears and he still fell asleep wondering if he was going to get home to the wailing and mourning of a funeral or the laughter and tears of the miracle.
But alongside those emotions, he now has something else. The Word of God. Which he chooses to believe.
And the next day he sees. The servants meet him with the joyful news, the father checks on the details, and God is praised. The boy was healed the moment Jesus spoke. And the father (and his household) takes a final, public, step of faith. They believed in Jesus.
In the waiting:
So here is where this leaves us, in our lives today. Much of the time, we are in the same spot the father was. Jesus has spoken. The Word of God has been heard. The instructions given. I think most of the time we are in the space between the promise of God and its realization in our lives – like in the night the father spent on the way home.
Are you going to waver?
Are you going to give in to the fears of the night?
Are you going to second guess, go running back to Jesus even though He’s already told you to go back home, looking for more reassurance or evidence or flashy miracle?
Or are you going to believe, and obey.
We will see the promise come true.
We will see the healing come.
We will see families restored.
We will see households come to believe in Jesus.
We (just) need to believe, and obey. Take Jesus at His word. I think we can trust the God of the Universe.
Closing Prayer:
Here is how I want to lead you in a closing prayer. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in the father’s shoes, standing in front of Jesus. Whatever your need, lay it out before Him. Ask. Beg, that is ok.
Now listen. He’ll probably remind you of something He has already promised, in His Word.
Now what? It comes with a command. Stop sinning. Let go. Reconcile. Confess. Change. Speak. Something else.
And then it is back to you. The promise is made, the commands made clear.
Will you believe, and obey?
