DISCUSSION
The Gospel of John tells the story of a young boy
who was dying in Capernaum. I assume his father had exhausted every medical
mean at his disposal, but he had one option left. There had been talk of a
physician named Jesus who was using a strange new type of medicine, but Jesus
was a least twenty miles away. Nevertheless, he had no other options; the
father goes to Jesus. As he meets Jesus, he explains his son’s situation, and
pleads with Him to come back to Capernaum before his son dies. Jesus’ response
was “Go, your son will live” (John 4.50). “Is that it?” might have been our
response, but the father believed and rushed home. What trust! What peace! What
faith! This father believed and left knowing that Jesus had said something in
Cana of Galilee that affected his ill son at his home twenty miles away. We
have no indication in the Scriptures how the father left, or if he showed
appreciation. But since no reaction is recorded, it allows me to envision the
father going home with a big smile on his face. As he traveled home, his
servant met him with the news of his son’s miraculous turn of event. “What time
did he get better?” the father asked his servant. “Yesterday, about 1:00!” he
replied. By then I would bet you could have seen every tooth in the father’s
mouth as he beamed with joy and thought to himself, “That was exactly the time,
Jesus said ‘Your son lives’!” I wish I could have heard him explain to his wife
about his amazing encounter and the wonderful gift he had received from the
Great Physician. Think of the many gifts God has given you today, and then make
sure you tell someone about those gifts! I almost forgot…don’t forget to smile!