Child Healed at Capernaum

33 – Child Healed at Capernaum, John 4:46-54

John 4:46 Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was imploring Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see [a]signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.” 49 The royal official *said to Him, “[b]Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus *said to him, “Go; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off. 51 As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his [c]son was living. 52 So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, “Yesterday at the [d]seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives”; and he himself believed and his whole household. 54 This is again a second [e]sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

Footnotes

a. John 4:48 Or attesting miracles
b. John 4:49 Or Lord
c. John 4:51 Or boy
d. John 4:52 Perhaps 7 p.m. Roman time or 1 p.m. Jewish time
e. John 4:54 Or attesting miracle

Commentary

“The key to understanding the significance of Jesus’s second sign/miracle is geography. The nobleman and his dying son lived in Capernaum, the main city of the Galilee region (see Luke 4:31). But Jesus was 20 miles away at Cana (where, significantly, His first sign/miracle had taken place). That means the nobleman walked a 40-mile round trip – a two-day trek by foot – to implore Jesus to heal his son. But Jesus merely spoke a word, producing results 20 miles away… No wonder the incident produced faith” (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1869). There is some question as to whether this man would have walked or ridden a horse (he was privileged, after all), but it’s a long journey either way, as evidenced by the fact that, on his way home, he didn’t meet his servants until the day after the fever broke. This story has some other important undertones to consider, as well. The royal official had power and wealth, which many people would consider to be security for everything he needed. However, when it came to things of true importance, such as the life of his child, he quickly found himself destitute, traveling for days to beg from a carpenter’s son with more power than he had, ultimately producing an appreciation for things of eternal importance, such as the faith of his household, and his own eternal soul. This was the true picture of the man, as he was when he was in his humblest state, and it is through that humility that he was able to discover abundant life.

Taking a closer look at who this official or nobleman was, I appreciated this insight from Andrew Clarke. “[A certain nobleman] An officer of the king’s court for this is the meaning of the original word, ‎basilikos‎, which the Vulgate translates regulus, a little king. This officer belonged to Herod Antipas, who was then tetrarch of Galilee. Jerome calls him Palatinus, and says he was an officer of the king’s palace. Others think it was Chuza, mentioned Luke 8:3; and others think it was Manaen, spoken of Acts 13:1. One of these opinions may be true, but all solid proof is wanting. This officer, whoever he was, appears to have had his ordinary abode at Capernaum, and hearing that Christ was at Cana, he came express from Capernaum thither, to entreat him to heal his child” (http://sermons.pastorlife.com/members/sermon.asp?sermon_id=3411).

This ‘last-ditch effort’ he made to reach out to Jesus was likely inspired by the reputation that had spread based on Jesus’s previous miracle at Cana, as well as the signs He had performed in Jerusalem during His stay for Passover (John 2:23-25). However, “the feebleness of his faith in Jesus’ ability to heal is underscored by two erroneous assumptions that he made about Him. First, unlike the centurion (Luke 7:6-7) and the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:24-30), he assumed Jesus had to be physically present to heal his son. Second, he hoped Jesus had the power to heal his son’s illness, but had no hope that He could raise him from the dead. Those two assumptions were behind his insistence that Jesus come at once before it was too late” (http://sermons.pastorlife.com/members/sermon.asp?sermon_id=3411). Perhaps it is this underestimation of Jesus’s power that prompts Jesus to rebuke him and all of Galilee with the statement, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.” The man seems to heed Jesus’s remonstration about superficial faith, however, because when Jesus declares the child lives, the man leaves in faith that it is done. “Faith is leaving our problem with Christ, accepting His Word, and going on our way” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1305).

Regarding this rebuke of little faith among the people, the culture at the time had some similarities to ours today. Namely, the people needed proof, at that time demonstrated through signs and wonders which were scientifically inexplicable. Today, as we cling to the ‘proof’ of science, many people are under the false impression that the Bible and science are mutually exclusive and that, while science can be proven, Christian beliefs cannot, to the extent that Christian faith is largely rooted in the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of a man who lived over 2000 years ago. However, both science and Christianity are evidence-based, open to examination, and require some level of faith to accept as truth (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1872). The life of Jesus is well-documented, and there are numerous accounts of His miracles, many of which are recorded in the Bible (a book, by the way, that has as many proofs of historical accuracy as any volume ever compiled). It is ironic that miracles, the “local, temporary suspension of natural laws”, which were the very thing required in Jesus’s day to compel the people to faith in Him, are now a part of Christian belief that cast a shadow on the credibility of Jesus’s entire ministry, and indeed the existence of God, since they are ‘unscientific’. “The so-called ‘laws of nature’… Do not determine what may happen; they describe what normally does happen. Therefore, science can legitimately say that miracles do not usually occur in nature. But it would be illegitimate to claim that miracles are impossible. Such a claim speaks outside the limits of science. If God has really come into this world in Christ, is it so surprising that He would perform miracles, as the Gospels report?” (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1872). Rather than being in conflict with Christian ideals, the scientific world owes much, in fact, to Christianity. “Christians… have been (and still are) on the vanguard of scientific progress. Indeed, modern science is largely the product of inquiring believers… Our faith is not opposed to reason. At points it may go beyond reason. But it is a reasonable faith. It hangs together logically.” (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1872).

In this day and age, we equally revere subjective psychological ‘truth’ and ‘objective’ scientific ‘truth’ when they are commonly at odds with one another and with historical ‘truth’, but the discrepancies don’t seem to give anyone pause to consider whether we might be misrepresenting the idea of ‘truth’. If you were to ask the nobleman from this passage, the truth of his circumstance was both personal and empirical. If you were to ask the author of this gospel account, he would tell you his claims aren’t based on inference or conjecture, but from witness and evidence. These were real people, living in real places, at real points in history, and their existence and stories were corroborated by a multitude of witnesses, both Christian and non-Christian. There may be historical events about which we must deduce the details through theory or limited evidence, but the truth is the truth, regardless of the conclusions we attempt to draw. I just pray, for anyone reading this, that your perception doesn’t cloud a truth that has eternal significance.

See the next post here https://onthepath.online/2019/08/23/move-to-capernaum/

Scripture References

Verse 46

Matthew 4:13 Leaving Nazareth, He went and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,

Luke 4:23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to Me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in Your hometown what we have heard that You did in Capernaum.'”

John 2:1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,

John 2:9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not know where it was from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside

John 2:12 After this, He went down to Capernaum with His mother and brothers and His disciples, and they stayed there a few days.

Verse 47

Matthew 2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,

John 4:3 He left Judea and returned to Galilee.

Verse 48

Daniel 4:2 I am pleased to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me:

Daniel 6:27 He delivers and rescues; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth, for He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”

Matthew 24:24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

Mark 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

Acts 2:19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

Acts 2:22 Men of Israel, listen to this message: Jesus of Nazareth was a man certified by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know.

Acts 4:30 as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

Acts 5:12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people, and with one accord the believers gathered together in Solomon’s Colonnade.

Acts 6:8 Now Stephen, who was full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.

Acts 7:36 He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness.

Acts 14:3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who affirmed the message of His grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.

Acts 15:12 The whole assembly fell silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

Romans 15:19 by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:22 Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom,

2 Corinthians 12:12 The true marks of an apostle–signs, wonders, and miracles–were performed among you with great perseverance.

2 Thessalonians 2:9 The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder,

Hebrews 2:4 and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.

Verse 50

Matthew 8:13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! As you have believed, so will it be done for you.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.

Verse 53

Acts 11:14 He will convey to you a message by which you and all your household will be saved.’

Verse 54

Matthew 2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,

John 2:11 Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

John 4:45 Yet when He arrived, the Galileans welcomed Him. They had seen all the great things He had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they had gone there as well.

Commentary

Luke 4:31 And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath;

John 2:23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. 24 But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.