After the two days [Jesus] left for Galilee. (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there.
Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.
"Unless you people see signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe."
The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies."
"Go," Jesus replied, "your son will live."
The man took Jesus at his word and departed. While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him."
Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and his whole household believed.
This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee. John 4:43-54
In Cana, fresh off of his time with the Samaritans and his appearance in Jerusalem, Jesus is met by a desperate father, looking for healing for his son. By all appearances, this man has faith in Jesus. After all, he is asking Jesus for a miracle! And yet, Jesus' response to this request almost sounds like a rebuke: "Unless you people see signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe" (v. 48).
What could be so wrong about asking for healing for a sick child? What about this request would warrant this response from Jesus? Maybe nothing. Maybe Jesus' rebuke isn't for this man directly, but for someone else. After all, the passage does say that the man took Jesus at his word, his son was healed, and his whole household believed (John 4:50-53). Cana, where this takes place, is where Jesus had already turned water into wine. This community has already seen miracles, but even though they welcome him at the beginning of this story, there is enough tension to warrant the comment that "a prophet has no honor in his own country." (v. 44). Maybe the admonishment of needing a sign wasn't for this man and his family, but for those surrounding them who had already heard Jesus declare who he is, and already seen a miraculous sign, but were still asking for proof. Maybe the problem wasn't asking Jesus to show up; it was measuring how he was showing up against previously held expectations and demanding more. And maybe, too, the good people of Galilee aren't the only ones who might need some correction.
Sometimes we, too, cling to our own expectations of how Jesus is supposed to work or appear, instead of surrendering our desires and following him where he leads. We demand a sign that he is going to meet our standards, so we miss out on opportunities to grow as disciples to build his kingdom. Today, take an inventory of your life. Notice where you are struggling to follow Jesus on his own terms by holding on to your own expectations and desires. Write down a prayer, surrendering those expectations to the Lord. Ask him to help you grow in belief.
by Jessica Rust
