John 4:46-53-
“So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, “unless you see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” Jesus said to him. “Go your way, your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way, And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!” Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better, And they said to him. “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” So the father know that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him. “Your son lives” and he himself believed and his whole household. “
To begin with, this nobleman worked for King Herod- otherwise he wouldn’t have had the title of “ nobleman." Second, we see that the nobleman engaged in a mindset common to men. He had heard about Jesus, but he really didn’t find that he, himself had any need to believe in Him let alone follow Him until tragedy was at the door. This man was in a desperate situation and it had to be a desperate situation for the man to risk his job and possibly his life by going to see Jesus for help. He was in a dire situation in the same way that people today have heard of Christ and the miracles He has performed yet only come to God when they find themselves in dire straits. This is the reason that our Lord Jesus rebuked him and said, “unless you see signs and wonders you will by no means believe.” However, notice that Jesus still had mercy on the man even though Jesus wanted his whole heart because of who He was and not just what He could give the man. The man believed Jesus because he had no choice - no alternative. As an employee of Herod, this man likely had access to the best doctors and research available, yet nothing could help his son except the Son of God. This is exactly what we observe today. Many times people who have heard about the miracles and healings of God will exhaust all other efforts known to man and then when nothing works they turn to some healing evangelist -or at least a local pastor. This is an annoyance to God but even in this He still answers their prayers. Then we see the man leave Jesus with the belief that his son will live. God again in His abundant mercy sent emissaries to the man to confirm in his heart that it was Jesus who healed him by affirming the time at which the boy became well. Then when the man understood that it was God who actually healed his son, he and his household believed. This means that the household went from a casual belief in God that was only employed in desperate situations to an all-in relationship with God based on the knowledge that He would always be there for them no matter what. The same concept perpetuated here as is presented in John 4:24 when the men of the city go investigate Jesus because of what the woman at the well told them about Him. In both situations, the people believe to the point that they put the word to the test by acting on it, but then when they themselves receive, then they believe so that they will go on with God.
This is such a clear picture of the state of the dominant population of the body of Christ as it is today. People really don’t believe God for their healing or provision etc. so they exhaust every means possible available to them to fulfill whatever need they may have and when none of those produce lasting results, they turn to God. Then when God shows up and delivers them, His goodness draws them to repentance, and they become His with their whole hearts.
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