46 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. 47 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.
Undoubtedly having exhausted all avenues at his disposal for healing his son, this royal official travels from Capernaum to Cana – approximately 15 – 20 miles – seeking the help of Jesus. Clearly sickness is no respecter of standing for wealth, dignities and titles give us no security from it. Obviously, news about Jesus’ first miracle in Cana – turning water into wine – had reached this kingly official’s ears, held out hope for Him and set him on his journey to the Master. Unfortunately, it all too often takes a crisis to get us running to Jesus. Going about our own way, we have little time for Him until we find ourselves face to face with something that is simply too humanly hard for us to accomplish. The Bible tells us nothing is too “pala” for God – meaning “He is beyond the bounds of human powers or expectations – He is the Miraculous” – obviously, it demonstrates faith to believe in His omnipotence. God tells us this truth through the prophet Isaiah:
10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. Isaiah 46:10 (NIV)
Jeremiah also states:
17 "Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. Jer 32:17 (NIV)
Throughout Scripture, certainly God’s character has been displayed through signs and wonders yet His greatest desire is simply for us to believe His Word over the miraculous – which is provided to get our attention prior to grabbing our hearts. It is His Word that is eternal and stands firm and fixed in the heavens. It is His Word we can rely on. Oftentimes the miraculous is granted to build up our weak faith. I am reminded in Scripture of another account in which a father bring his demon possessed son to Jesus for healing and he also receives the benefit of a faith booster. We find in the pages of Mark:
20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered. 22 "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." 23 "'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." 24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Mark 9:20-24 (NIV)
Long standing critical conditions oftentimes leave us without much faith – hopelessly caught in the whirl of our circumstances we find it difficult to look up. I cannot stress enough the importance of our daily being prepared and equipped with the full armor of God, enabling us to stand during such times – the belt of truth around our waist, the breastplate of righteousness in place, our feet fitted with the gospel of peace, taking up the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Having donned His armor we are ready when the day of evil approaches – we are able to stand in the midst of life’s storms. It is Satan’s desire to catch us in his schemes unaware – blithely going our own ways - his attacks are aimed at our destruction. Paul tells us in Ephesians:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Eph 6:10-13 (NIV)
We are not told in our verses for today if this official was a Jew or Gentile but from two other verses found in Scripture we can perhaps deduce that he was more than likely a Jew as he came seeking signs and wonders rather than wisdom. In fact, Jesus plainly states in the verse that follows:
48 "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe." John 4:48 (NIV)
Paul also refers to this in 1 Corinthians:
22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 1 Cor 1:22 (NIV)
We are also shown in today’s verses the depths of parental love which can be amazing can it not? Here we see a royal begging for mercy from Jesus – help my son. I wonder if he would have been as insistent regarding his own health. We often go to great lengths for our offspring – desiring for what we perceive to be their best. Yet God in His infinite wisdom does not hypothesize what is best but knows what is best for each of His children. He is a personal God to each of us. We are told this wonderful truth by Isaiah:
15 "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! 16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. Isaiah 49:15-16 (NIV)