The Second Sign

Then he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged 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 not believe.’ The official said to him, ‘Sir, come down before my little boy dies.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your son will live.’ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, ‘Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.’ The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live.’ So he himself believed, along with his whole household. Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee. John 4:46-54

There is little a parent won't do for a sick child. So much fear and heartache surround a family when a child is ill. We all know the joys, challenges and gifts that children bring, yet when their lives are on the line, nothing else matters. We read today about an encounter with a royal official and Jesus. The official was probably Roman, a non-Jew, and didn't know who Jesus was. He just knew that this Jesus was someone who could cure his child. We don't know how he knew, but we know his faith was strong despite all the spiritual and cultural differences between them. And the child lived. This second sign, the miracle of healing, reminds us all to seek Jesus in our broken-hearted despairing moments. That despite all the negative signs, God's love or us is greater than all that we face.

Loving Creator, you healed a small child

you gave faith to a panicked frightened parent

you breathe new life into the forgotten ones

and restore us over and over again.

We often fail to seek you in times of trouble

we seek the product that will make us whole

and when it fails we cry to you in our distress

and you find us and restore us to full life.

Help us to believe like the royal official

setting aside all protocols and divisions

seeking Jesus to bring healing to the home

and trusting that new life is coming our way. Amen.