Our Gospel for today features the second of seven signs in St. John’s Gospel. St. John is unique in his Gospel in using “sign” in conjunction with a miraculous event. The seven signs are, in order, first, turning water into wine at Cana, second, the healing of the nobleman’s son (our Gospel for today), third, healing the paralytic at the pool at Bethesda, fourth, the feeding of the five thousand, fifth, walking on water; sixth, the healing of a blind man, and the seventh and final sign, the raising of Lazarus from the dead. For St. John, these events expressed Jesus' response to human need, the divine Son of God, who condescends to help those who come to him. All of these signs are preceded by a dialogue - some short, some more lengthy - some including individuals or a bigger group.
Moreover, each one of St. John’s recorded signs reveals a new lens on Jesus' power and his love for people. He has mastery over all things that humans cannot control or change. At Cana, he could convert scarcity and wine of subpar quality into the finest vintage and abundance; in our Gospel, he can heal at a distance - with the power of his word; at Bethesda, time is no impediment to healing as Jesus reverses 38 years of paralysis; in the feeding, Jesus converted the scarcity of bread and fish into abundance; later he showed his mastery over natural law by walking on water; Jesus displayed his power over the fate of the blind man and his ultimate power over death in the raising of Lazarus.
We should also note that the signs in St. John’s Gospel revealed some aspect of Christ’s glory that called the participant to practice an active faith in Jesus.
So, returning to Our Gospel, St. John tells us of the healing of the nobleman’s son, the second of the seven signs in St. John’s Gospel. We read that a nobleman from Capernaum came to Jesus. This royal official was prominent as he most likely served in the royal household of Herod Antipas. Yet, we see that power and prestige do not insulate one from the spectre of disease and death, for the nobleman comes to Jesus on behalf of his son, who was near to death. Jesus was famous as a wonder worker and what parent would not seek out help, relief for their children? The man asks Jesus to come down to Capernaum and heal his son. I believe many of us can identify with the urgency of the nobleman. He has run into a problem that he cannot solve. He needs help.
On the surface, one may find Jesus' response perplexing. He says “except ye see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” What is he really saying here? Is there anything unreasonable in anyone coming to Jesus for help?
It could be that Jesus is confronting the tendencies of the Galileans who were focused more on the miracles and less on Christ who is performing them. Jesus may also be delaying for the purpose of calling the nobleman to a deeper faith. For the man believes that Jesus can heal, but Jesus can also raise the dead. He can heal and raise the dead from a distance with the power of his word. Notice the response of the man to this dialogue with Jesus. When Jesus makes His response about seeking miracles, the nobleman continues to press in and petition the Lord. He repeats the realities of his circumstances, that his son will die unless Jesus brings healing. Up to this point, the language of the narrative is dominated by sickness, death or dying. It is here where men come to the end of their power and can only voice their incapacity to help those most near and dear to them that the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, declares new life.
From this point onward, the language of the Gospel is full of life and belief.
Jesus tells the man to go home because his son lives. The man believed and manifested his belief by doing what Jesus had said. Belief, even halting belief, produces obedience to Christ’s word. Keeping with the purpose of St. John’s signs, the purpose of Christ’s miracles, the man’s faith was strengthened and his belief confirmed before he even got home. Akin to the healing of the lepers along the way to show themselves to the priests, this man is met with the good news of his son’s healing. He is met with the words from home that he heard last on Jesus' lips. They greet him with the same phrase as was declared to him by Jesus, “thy son liveth”. Moreover, the man’s faith is strengthened when he gets to hear that the healing was concurrent in time with Jesus' declaration. Thy son liveth became in effect a declaration of the living nature of the nobleman’s faith, which became contagious, for we read the entire household believed. For the signs and wonders of Jesus were intended to build up faith in Our Lord.
The nobleman came for healing for his son and received so much more. His son was healed of his physical infirmity, the sort that would have resulted in the son’s death apart from Jesus’ healing, but the entire household, the father, the servants, the son, gained new life in Jesus through believing, trusting in Jesus’ word. They made proper use of this sign, this miracle in our Gospel by responding to it in faith.
At the conclusion of St. John’s Gospel (John 20:30-31) we read, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” Later in I John Chapter 5, John writes - “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
The nobleman models for us the proper use of the record of Jesus teaching and miracles. That’s the reason the church appoints for the Gospel to be read every Sunday. It’s why we go to great lengths to read and study the Scriptures. Not to just engage with some theological fact, but that our faith may be bolstered so we grow in our confidence and reliance on the work of Christ. As we apply the truths revealed, we receive renewed strength to grow in the faith. To draw from Our Lord’s parable of the soils - we are to actively, by the help of the Holy Spirit, cultivate the soil of our hearts - by removing the hardness of heart that might be like the well-trod path, the thorns of distraction be it anxiety or excessive concern for riches; extracting the stones of bitterness, envy, malice. Let us in the moments before Holy Communion - deliberately, intentionally believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ, trust again in his saving work and then commit to live in accordance to his will. Who knows? Perhaps in the process we will see the salvation of those nearest and dearest to us as we exercise our faith and belief in Jesus Christ. Amen.
