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How's Your Health John
4:43-54
Do you ever worry about your health?
A hypochondriac told his doctor in great alarm that he was certain he
had a fatal liver disease. "Nonsense!" protested the doctor. "You
wouldn’t know whether you had that or not. With that particular disease
there’s no discomfort of any kind." "Oh No!" the patient gasped. "My
symptoms exactly!"
It’s safe to say that we all worry about our health from time to time,
especially when it is a pain that is different from something we have
had before.
And until we know what it is, there can be some pretty anxious times.
But perhaps there is no greater difficulty than watching a loved one in
a deteriorating condition.
When we watch someone we really care for go through a difficult time,
the pain is excruciating. Whether it be for a parent, spouse or child,
it is a time of great anxiety. We even wish that we could take the pain
for them, especially for a son or daughter. We have such a passion for
them that we are willing to take their pain.
With that fresh on your mind do you think that Jesus cares about your
health?
We must, because when we are unhealthy, we sure pray a lot. I don’t mean
to be sarcastic about that, just observant. When we are not feeling
well, we pray for God’s help and healing. When someone we care about is
in trouble health-wise, we pray a lot. So we must believe Jesus cares
about our health issues.
After all, the gospels are full of stories about healings. There is the
healing of:
the leper
the servant of the centurion
two demon-possessed men
the paralytic
the epileptic boy
the bleeding woman
the invalid at the pool
the daughter of Jarius
Mary Magdalene
Bartimaeus, the man born blind, and of course…
Lazarus, who died.
It seems Jesus did a lot of healing, so he must have been concerned
about people that were not physically well.
Today we come to the end of chapter four and we find Jesus is concerned
about the health of a dying boy. But interestingly, Jesus’ interest goes
beyond that. Today we will discover that He will produce a sign that
demonstrates His power over people and distance.
This is the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come
from Judea to Galilee. The first sign was the changing of water into
wine. With that miracle Jesus showed His power over things. Here, Jesus
shows that His power goes beyond that.
Today we will see it in four stages.
The first stage is The Homecoming. John 4:43-46.
After the two days he left for Galilee. When he arrived, the Galileans
welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem and
Galilee. But Jesus knew they did not respect Him. And the text tells us
that He knows there is no real honor for Him in His hometown.
But Jesus was making a name for Himself. His time in Judea has been a
hit. So the Galileans welcomed him home this time. Now that he had made
a difference somewhere else, people see him in an entirely different
light. It a type of honor, but not the honor that is truly due Him.
Jesus was not interested in fame. This is why He left Judea. He was
becoming too popular. This is why He goes to Samaria. It was not a
popular thing to do. It was a place to be avoided. Now, Jesus goes back
to Cana. Why?
Well that is the second stage, The Request. John 4:46-48
Jesus has an appointment. I think Jesus returns to Cana because He has
unfinished business. Just like He had to go through Samaria last week,
He needs to return to Cana. Here Jesus meets a man who has a passion for
a dying son.
This was not an ordinary man, but an official attached to Herod’s court.
He was the king’s man, so was a man of great influence and power. We
read that the death of his son was imminent. He has come 20 miles from
Capernaum to see Jesus.
His young son was tossing with a fever. And the father has this helpless
feeling, the cold clutch of fear that grips the heart. And so, before
Jesus, he makes his request or plea. And despite his importance he is
begging for Jesus’ help. But Jesus, surprisingly, rebukes unbelief.
Jesus’ response seems rather harsh. But a closer look reveals that the
response is addressed to the wider audience. There were people about
that were only in it for the miraculous. And Jesus places the challenge
before them…they only believe because of the miracle. They come only for
the signs and wonders. They were coming as if Jesus was a religious
sideshow. They were not coming for truth’s sake.
I don’t believe that it is a coincidence that this story follows the new
believers in Samaria that Jesus has just left. The Samaritans,
ironically, were leading the way to true belief.
In verse 49-50 we see The Exposure
In spite of the rebuke, the father does not defend himself. He does not
argue. He just urges Jesus to come to Capernaum. He uses a different
word for his child. He says, “My little boy.”
So deeply anxious, he has no other consideration. He has only one thing
in mind. He must get Jesus to Capernaum, because Jesus is his last and
only hope. “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
And Jesus refuses to go with the man to heal his son. This has to be
totally unexpected, both by the man and by the gathering crowd. Jesus
refuses to go, but He does not refuse to help. Jesus replied, “You may
go. Your son will live.”
Jesus declares that the son lives. Don’t overlook the power in that
statement. He simply says, “Your son lives.” He is determined to do a
miracle that does not draw attention to Himself. For the crowds, it’s a
disappointment. There is going to be no show.
But for this father, Jesus imposes words that are a stiff test. He gives
the man no sign. It is just His word. But the man offers no arguing or
pleading. There is no insistence for a sign. Jesus’ word is enough.
Which brings about the last part The Trust in verses 50-53
Jesus discovers a man that believes.
The father rises to the implied demand for faith. He believes what Jesus
says and goes his way. And he proves that faith is not what you feel, it
is what you do.
Faith is not a work but Faith will make you work!
He goes home, fully expecting good news. It will be dark by the time he
gets there, but on the way home, the father finds his belief was well
founded.
The servants tell him the good news. His son lives! The very thing that
Jesus said and that he believed was true. And he starts putting the
pieces together. The servants authenticate the miracle of Jesus with
testimony about the precise moment.
The very time that his son began to recover was the very time Jesus
said, “Your son lives.” And here is the miracle…Jesus has given life. It
was brought about very simply…through the spoken word. He pronounces,
“He lives!”
The text tells us that as a result that the belief grew as a result of
this man’s faithfulness. As the father informed his family, they
believed too. It was an informed belief. And his belief grew as well.
For he has gone past a belief based on experience. He has even gone past
a belief on the Lord’s promise. Now he believes the Lord’s person.
The faith of your household grows the same way. Notice that the
household believed because the father first believed. In your house your
family will either grow in their faith or they will shrink up and die on
the vine depending on the faith you show in your home.
Now we started today with the question do you think that Jesus cares
about your health?
You know, I believe that there are a lot of crooks out there that
pretend to be healers. They have tremendous services that are really
performances with the theatrics to match. The focal point is on the
healer. And people hurry to the front to be touched by this man or woman
so that they will be healed.
But I want you to notice that Jesus did not do healing like this. It was
not a show. In fact, over a space of 20 miles, He says the word, and the
boy is healed. It does not even require His presence, and in so doing,
Jesus does not bring attention to Himself.
When it comes to healing, we need to learn this important lesson God is
not going to jump through our hoops. And He does not have to answer our
prayers the way we expect. Note what Paul says in Romans 11:33-36:
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has
known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever
given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him
and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
I believe that in matters of health we need to be reminded Who we are
dealing. God has a power beyond the knowledge and reach of mankind.
So there may be times that you feel too far away from God for Him to
reach His hand out to you but are you?
The answer “no way.”
The father thought Jesus had to be by the boy’s side to be healed, but
it turned out that Jesus was bigger than that. And the same is true for
you today. You are not out of God’s reach. Jesus does not have
limitations. He is the God of space and distance. There is nothing that
is too hard for Him. There is no distance that is too great for Him.
But in the midst of this discussion about physical healing, please
remember this Jesus cares even more about your spiritual health.
Jesus is looking to restore spiritual wholeness, even more than physical
wholeness. God is not looking for people that hold to “seeing is
believing.”
He is looking for those that hold to “believing is seeing.” He knows
that faith sees the unseen. Is your faith growing into that kind of
faith?
Are you moving from the experience to the promise to the person. Our
faith is not meant to be static. It is not something we experience once
and then remains constant. Our faith is to grow as we come to know our
Lord and His Word better.
So let us learn this simple lesson from this father that was in pain
over a dying son that we must take Jesus at His word.
Take Jesus at His word and do as He says. For when we do this, we
demonstrate faith. And His Word is readily available. As the apostle
Paul writes in Colossians 3:16 let the word of Christ dwell in you
richly.
Turn to the words of Jesus. Believe them by acting on them. Grow in
faith and find that Jesus can be taken at His Word. Take Jesus at His
word…you are not too far away; for no distance makes you out of reach
and He desires to do in you and for you, He can and He will. Take Jesus
at His word…for His is good, while others may fail you, Jesus will not;
He will do as He says; so believe, for believing is seeing.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or
imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be
glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for
ever and ever! Amen.
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