March 8, 2023
Begging in Ignorance
“The royal official said to Him, ‘Sir, come down before my child dies.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your son lives.’ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off.” John 4:49-50 (NASB)
Years ago in law enforcement, I met with an elementary school counselor concerning a possible child abuse case. The child had a large cut in the palm of his right hand. The child’s wound was wrapped in a dirty washcloth as a makeshift bandage. It had become infected and needed treatment. The counselor thought it was a clear case of child abuse. I was unsure at the time. I later learned things which were part of the home life which would eventually affect the outcome of the case. Over time I realized the father never learned how to treat a wound properly. He genuinely didn’t know any better. The dirty rag was all he had at the time which he considered the cleanest thing in the house. In the end, no criminal intent was found. He had no intent to harm the child. I determined the parent did the best he could within his limited capacity as he begged me to not take his child. It was plain old ignorance. Child Services later sent the couple to parenting classes. These would help the parents and teach them how to care for their children. By ignorance, the father did his best, but his best wasn’t good enough to heal his wound. We sometimes are ignorant to what Jesus can do in our lives, even in emergencies.
When Jesus rebuked the royal official and the people of Cana in our earlier passages, note there is no response in acknowledging his unbelief. He is too focused on his son’s life, and he doesn’t let it deter his asking. Jesus replied to him “Go; your son lives.” Then a fraction of faith entered, and the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him.” The word “believed” is the word pisteuo. It means “to trust,” or “to rely on.”[1] The first sentence “Go; your son lives,” is an amazing statement of Jesus’ kindness. Jesus could have decided to reject the offer because of unbelief, but instead He granted the request. Jesus’ patience with the man’s ignorance went beyond what was expected. The average miracle worker or even a physician had to go to the location. Jesus conducts a miracle from a distance. Jesus valued the smallest measure of faith because “The man believed the word that Jesus spoke.” He rewarded the act of a fraction of faith because He believed.
Sometimes in the deepest times of despair, our belief becomes the purest. It is when the heart is the most malleable to believe. It’s often when there is no other option. This is because the person has nowhere else to turn. But the official came to Jesus and believed He could perform the miracle or healing. In this man’s pain, he reached out to anyone to help his son. While doing this, at the smallest amount, he exhibited faith. This helps to explain why he met Jesus on the road. He couldn’t wait any longer. Is this the way a lot of us look for help from Jesus? Do we look to Him when we hit the wall and nothing else will fix our condition? I would encourage you to abandon all your devices which you depend on each day and pursue Jesus Christ. As I think back to my earlier years as a Christian, I might have run back to anyone who could give me what I needed. Now I know that Jesus can handle all my needs. I don’t need to chase someone down to ask for help, Jesus is already there for the believer in Christ.
[1] Rudolf Bultmann, “Πιστεύω, Πίστις, Πιστός, Πιστόω, Ἄπιστος, Ἀπιστέω, Ἀπιστία, Ὀλιγόπιστος, Ὀλιγοπιστία,” ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 177.