Friday, January 30, 2015

A Sovereign God

In the book of John (ch 4:43-54), we read about a government official from the city of Capernaum, who upon hearing that Jesus was in the nearby town of Cana, went over to visit him for he had heard that Jesus could heal and his son needed a healing. The Bible says the son was "very sick." When he found Jesus, he begged him to go with him to Capernaum as his son was "about to die."

Jesus' answer was not one of sympathy, as we would typically see in other instances in the Bible. Jesus asked, "Must I do miraculous sign and wonders before you people will believe in me?" This must have had to do with his experience with the Pharisees and other Israelites that we read of in preceding chapters and the other gospels, for the Pharisees always asked Jesus for a sign from heaven even after they had witnessed the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the leper healed, and the dead brought back to life. People who knew of Jesus' upbringing as a carpenter's son found it hard to swallow all that Jesus said and did (refer to John 6:41-42). And that's probably why Jesus said, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own country." (John 4:43). The dialogue continues between Jesus and the official. The official pleads with Jesus, "Lord, please come now before my little boy dies." And Jesus' response was sort of dismissive, "Go back home. Your son will live!" (John 4:50). Next, what is remarkable is the official's reaction.

We read, "And the man believed Jesus' word and started home." Absolute faith in what Jesus had said! He was not shackled with disbelief as some others who found it hard that the carpenter's son would proclaim such fantastic statements (John 6:41-42). He was not shackled with pride that a lowly Jew would not pay more respect to an official and accompany him immediately.  Rather there was absolute faith on part of the official in what Jesus told him and there was an action of faith, for he started to walk home to his son. On the way back, he was met by some of his servants who gave him the news that his son was alive and well. He asked them when the boy had begun to feel better and they replied, "Yesterday afternoon at one o'clock his fever suddenly disappeared!" The official/father realized it was the same time that Jesus had told him, "Your son will live." (John 4:51-54)

There are times when our prayers don't bear the result we want, in the way we want. But I would encourage you to have faith in God who is sovereign.  Which means he has total and absolute power over all your circumstances and he will cause what is good for you to happen in your life. The official could have gotten mad at Jesus' response to him. He could have thrown it all away, and the life of his son, by reacting in anger. But his faith and the resulting action brought a healing to his son and salvation to his entire family! (John 4:53)

Break Every Chain

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