TAKING JESUS AT HIS WORD
John 4:49-50 (NIV 1984) 49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed.
When a royal official came to Cana and approached Jesus, he had an agenda. It was personal. It was selfish. And it was absolutely the attitude a loving father should have towards his child. The official’s son lay sick at Capernaum and probably having heard of Jesus’ miracles, he decided to approach him for help. Jesus’ first word were to challenge the man, questioning his faith, and seemingly accusing him of being a “sign-seeker”. Yet it didn’t phase the man. In fact, he gives the comment no response. Whoa! Mr. high ranking official, you’re talking to God in the flesh. He challenges your motives, and you disregard his comment? That is exactly what the official did. He disregarded Jesus’ comment, because his motives were not faithless and sign-seeking. He desired one thing and one thing only – the healing of his beloved son. Theology, faith, unbelief, signs, wonders, etc …, none of that was the main thing, because the impact of a suffering son and the deep emotion of a compassionate father trumped all other concerns. Isn’t it amazing when suffering and issues of life and death enter our lives how much of the other issues fade?
The man went straight in to Jesus. Ignoring his comment, he called on Jesus to come and heal his son before it was too late. Jesus does not rebuke and does not restate his challenge. “You may go. Your son will live.” And the man’s response is a phrase that deserves attention. “The man took Jesus at his word and departed.” What a phrase! And how simple it really is. The man was not waffling in unbelief. He was not seeking signs to help with doubt. He had absolute faith, and he proved it the moment Jesus said, “Your son will live.” We don’t know why Jesus said what He said before that, perhaps it was for those around who were listening, or maybe He was testing the man, who knows? But the official took Jesus at His word, and he departed. He didn’t stay and beg. He didn’t ask for more clarification, or how would he know for sure. He said nothing else.
As a believer, I hear God, and so do you. “My sheep hear my voice.” (Jn 10:27) Yet I do not think I hear Him nearly as clearly as I once thought. There are many things that I simply do not know when it comes to knowing what God is saying. I live in a mystery zone looking through a glass dimly most of the time. Though there are some things I do know. There are times when God speaks, in the usual, yet unusual ways, and I know what I’ve heard, or at least I think I know. And here’s the challenge: not am I certain about what I hear from Him most of the time, but what do I do when I am certain? Do I stay and ask for more clarification? Do I look for a sign? Do I keep asking? None of these are bad, and can be shown in scripture to be appropriate in certain situations, but when I hear, and I know I hear, there is nothing left to say. I am simply to take Jesus at His word and carry on. There has never been a more trustworthy man than Jesus. His word is always good. It will never fail, and always comes with power (see alternate translation of Luke 1:38). His job is to speak. Our job is to take Him at His word and then carry on.
