Healing the Official’s Son - John 5:46-54
While entering and cataloguing items which have been donated to the college library I have come across some strange books. Some of which I have rejected, some I have put in. But what I have often noticed is the arrogance of the author’s ‘blurb’ on the back of the books, and even the contents of some of the books. One was about soul-winning, with the introduction by the author about how many tens of thousands of people he has led to the Lord etc. Another one by a lady who was writing about the travails of being married to the most famous missionary in India – of whom I had never heard. Others about all the miracles they had seen in Brazil, with a picture of him in heroic pose in a Rio slum. There are many of these books around too.
I find these books excruciatingly awful and sub-Christian. You may care to differ.
In the unlikely event of me ever writing a book it will be called: “Mark Budenberg - A sinner saved by grace. How I screwed it up, but God carried me along anyway.”
This story of the royal official’s son is a picture of a man learning a hard lesson. The story comes after Jesus had ministered in Samaria to great effect, in an area which was habitually hostile to Jews, and when NO miracles were recorded - but where a whole town was led to faith in Christ by the testimony of the well known local ‘loose’ woman. Jesus comes back to Galilee where the local Jewish inhabitants want spectacular miracles, for the ‘local boy’ to show off.
But this official whom we have just read about was perhaps pulling rank on Jesus, saying, “Come and walk 17 miles to Capernaum to heal my dying son.”
Those of you doing my Hermeneutics course have done an exegetical examination of the healing of Naaman the Syrian under the ministry of Elisha in 2 Kings 5. A rich and successful general rolls up in a chariot outside Elisha’s door and wants to be healed of his leprosy, bringing huge quantities of gold and silver and cloths to reward Elisha. Elisha does not even come out of the house but sends him a message to go and wash seven times in the River Jordan. Result: one furious general, who probably had not been spoken to like that for years – who was expecting magic, signs and wonders as befitting his station.
But later he humbled himself and was healed, without meeting Elisha, who later refused to accept any gifts from Naaman. It was God’s work. God does not need any help, ego or even gifted people for his work. And Naaman goes on to become a man of asaving faith validated by Jesus himself.
Likewise this royal official demands instant service. I doubt the official had ever been spoken to in his professional life like that either by a Galilean peasant. Jesus in fact refuses to produce a miraculous spectacle for an unbelieving voyeuristic Galilean mob. Jesus brings miracles in answer to belief, not to bring about that belief. But neither does he do miracles or other stuff to befit our station, or our imagination – how things ought to happen. Jesus refuses to be put in a ‘box’ of our making. As though I am only willing to do stuff befitting my qualifications. Is that faith? This church is too small or that church is too liberal for me to preach in – all the more reason to go guys! You come to Christ by Christ’s way. We live for Christ by Christ’s way.
v50, ‘”Go, your son will live”. The man believed the word that Jesus spoke.’
In fact the miracle became even greater in the end. If Jesus had gone the 17 miles to the boy and healed him with a touch it would have been a lesser miracle than the one it turned out to be – a healing that took place at a range of 17 miles - verified to the official by his servants who met him on his way home.
He enquired as to when the healing occurred. His response is not, “Yippee! My son is healed!” But his response is belief in who Jesus is – thus the centre of the story moves from the sick son, and the sick son’s healing back to Jesus Himself. And that is how it should be. Yes, Jesus is the one who can heal instantaneously at a range of 17 miles - a very radical concept at the time. But the healing itself almost becomes irrelevant. The greatest miracle of all that day being the miracle of new birth in the official – and do not forget it! That is a miracle whose consequences last forever. One day that boy would be near to death again and this time he would die.
I started my training for missions many years ago. I have noticed many fads in missions the changing fashion for various countries. Territorial spirits, signs & wonders, Bible-smuggling, church planting, TEE, holistic missions etc. Also in various destinations: every one wanted to go to: to Albania, then central Asia, then … etc. I want to work in Tibet! Why is no-one going to the grimy industrial towns in Belgium riddled with occult, superstitious Catholicism, immigrant radical Moslem Imams and not a snowy mountain peak in sight to send home as a backdrop to your annual family photo? Those Belgian souls will be precious in God’s sight – because you obeyed and went against expectations. Samuel said to Saul, “To obey is better than sacrifice, to hearken than the fat of rams”. King Saul disobeyed because he wanted to look the part.
When I was a missionary, in Congo I observed animists trying to manipulate spirits and local gods with little offerings and magic: for a fruitful crop, for revenge on an enemy or for the safe delivery of a child etc. It was a totally self-serving religion. But the Lord Jesus Christ cannot be manipulated. In fact if he could be so manipulated he would not be worthy of our worship.
The place of blessing is not the overflowing bank account, perfect health or a beautiful body, but being in the centre of God’s will, experiencing healing and salvation on God’s terms - which is doing things His way, the way of the cross. You see, Jesus’ claims and teaching are so outrageous and unsettling that they are either the commands of a mad fraud or he is the Son of God. I believe he is the Son of God. Let us do things His way.
But yet again this message is about the grace of God in Christ. The royal official had to turn back and walk home to what might have been a dying son, just on a word from Jesus, and nothing else. Jesus did not come back to Capernaum, the government official with the local Galilean miracle worker in tow. The official was willing to turn back on a word from Jesus. The man was desperate. Having a living male descendant was vital for this man’s status. We are going to have to do stuff which challenges our status, our pride our view of ourselves – not because God wants to turn us into a doormat, but because he wants us to have life – life on Jesus’ terms.
What matters is not who you are, or what you are, but who Jesus is!