John 4:43-54

Including the Excluded

Jesus Again In Galilee

43 After the two days he went from there into Galilee. 
44 Jesus himself bore witness to the fact
that a prophet has no honour in his own home place. 
45 So when he came into Galilee,
Galileans who had seen all the things he had done in Jerusalem during the festival welcomed him –
for they too had gone to the festival.

Scholars argue whether the prophet’s own home place referred to Judea or to Galilee.  Though the Gospel had already made the point that Jesus’ home was Nazareth [1:46], it was predominantly in Judea that Jesus had so far ministered (and would continue to minister), where the beginnings of Pharisaic opposition had already been hinted at [4:1-3], and where, later in the narrative, his person and message would be contested most fiercely.  The immediate observation that the Galileans welcomed him would also seem to confirm that Galilee was not the place where the prophet had no honour.

The Galilean welcome reflected the earlier enthusiasm that Jesus had encountered from many in Jerusalem in response to the signs that he was doing (that had led to the author's comment that Jesus would not entrust himself to them [2:24]).

John 4:46-54      Heals an Official’s Son

46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee where he made water wine.

The connection of Cana with Jesus’ previous miracle there set up an expectation for “more of the same”.

There was an official whose son was ill in Capharnaum.

Galilee came under the jurisdiction of King Herod Antipas who administered his kingdom under the control of Rome.  The official would probably have been a public servant of either Herod or Rome.  Whether he was Jewish or Gentile was not stated.   Were the ruler a non-Jew, the story would have continued the theme of the previous Samaritan mission – reaching out to the conventionally marginalised.  On the other hand, were he not another foreigner, this second Cana incident would be more a celebration of life, just as the first Cana miracle had been a celebration of abundance.

47 He heard that Jesus had come from Judea into Galilee.  
He approached him
and asked him to travel down and to heal his son –
for he was on the point of dying.

Whether Jewish or Roman, the man’s concern for his son was admirable. In a strongly honour-regulated society, he had humbled himself to ask for help from a subject, and he had put up with the inconvenience of travel.

48 So Jesus said to him,
“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”

The Gospel phrased Jesus’ response in the plural, indicating that it was more a theological statement than the beginning of a personal dialogue.  For the Beloved Disciple – and for Jesus – the point of wonders was not the amazement and enthusiasm they elicited but what they pointed to, the questions they raised and the genuine faith to which they could lead.

Jesus' observation about seeing signs and wonders picked up the comment made earlier in the narrative [2:23-24].  It would still be an issue, even after the resurrection of Jesus, when Jesus, addressing Thomas's reluctance to believe, would commend those who have not seen and yet have come to believe [20.29].

49 The official said to him, “Lord, do come down before my child dies.”

As with the mother of Jesus in the previous Cana incident [2.4], the official was not put off by Jesus’ generalised theological observation.  He did not read it as a refusal of help.

50 Jesus said to him, “Go off now, your son is alive.”  
The man trusted what Jesus said to him, and went off.

The official resumed his journey back to Capernaum.  His faith journey had begun, but still had further to go.  He believed the word of Jesus that the boy, wonderfully, was alive.  He accepted Jesus as healer.  In this, he was not unlike the Samaritan woman, who at first opened to Jesus as a prophet, and the Samaritan townsfolk, who initially believed in Jesus on the strength of the woman's witness.

51 While he was on his way,
his slaves met him and told him that his son was alive.

His slaves’ comment echoed the word of Jesus: Your son is alive.

52 He asked them at what time he had got better.  
They told him, “The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.”
53 The father then recognised that that was the time
when Jesus said to him, “Your son is alive”.  
And he and his whole household believed.

The official’s faith journey continued – from faith in Jesus’ healing ability to faith, simply, in Jesus.  That was the step that mattered.  The wonder had become sign for him – pointing to the mystery revealed in Jesus.

The household would need to follow a path similar to the Samaritan townsfolk: from responding to the witness of the official’s faith to relating personally to Jesus.

54 This was the second sign that Jesus did
on his return from Judea into Galilee.

It would not be his last sign in Galilee.

 

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