Mary’s Lent Diary (Day 11)
Today, Jesus has been back in Cana – that’s the place where the wedding was, where he turned water into wine. People are still talking about that day, I think it must be one of the most exciting days in the history of Cana! Or it was before today, anyway – today presented a bit of a challenge for exciting top spot…
A royal official actually came from Capernaum to Cana just to find Jesus and he walked 20 miles to do it! Someone told me about it so I hurried to see for myself. When I got there, it looked as though the royal official was asking Jesus for something. Actually, no, it looked as though he was begging Jesus for something. I doubt the man has ever begged for anything in his life! But it turned out that he had good reason to start now – his son was really ill. In fact, the child was dying and the official wanted Jesus to heal him. Heal him? I don’t know what made the man ask Jesus that. I mean, I know he can do miracles, I’ve seen it myself, but heal someone?
Jesus told the man that, unless people see miracles and things, they will never believe.
To be honest, the official did not seem very bothered about that – he just asked Jesus to go with him right away, before his son died.
The man said it with such urgency that I was surprised Jesus did not follow him when he set off. Jesus just stayed where he was. From the look on the man’s face as he turned back, he was surprised, too! But Jesus told him to go and that his son would live. And the man went.
As he disappeared down the road, I was disappointed that I would not know the end of the story. Would the boy be healed? But I needn’t have worried – I had forgotten that news seems to spread like wildfire around here.
Apparently, when the official was on his way home after seeing Jesus, some of his servants met him. When he saw them coming, the man’s heart sank, but it turned out that they were bringing good news. The boy was alive and well, he had been healed! And it turned out that he got better at exactly the same time as Jesus had told the man that his son would live.
A man’s hands, with a wristwatch showing
Jesus does something new here.
He had performed a miracle when He turned water into wine.
But now He has healed someone.
People didn’t know He could heal, because they’d never known Him do so.
Yet the official asked for the apparently impossible.
The unknown.
Perhaps based on the water into wine incident, the official believes that Jesus can do something even bigger.
Whatever the reason, he dares ask:
Will You make my son better?
He dares ask for something bigger.
The desire of his heart.
…give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways…
Proverbs 3:26
Have you given your heart to Jesus?
With all its longings, and hopes, and dreams?
What’s your ‘will You make my son better?’ equivalent?
Perhaps we don’t dare ask.
Perhaps we are too shy to ask.
Perhaps we don’t have the faith to ask.
Perhaps we don’t think there is any point in asking.
Perhaps…..
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Ephesians 3:20
God is able to do more than we ask.
Which means we have permission to - even need to - ask.
The official asked Jesus to heal his son, asking Jesus to go with him.
Because that’s what the official thought Jesus needed to do.
Do we sometimes think we know what Jesus needs to do?
Jesus exceeded the man’s hopes and expectations…..by staying where He was.
The official assumed Jesus needed to follow him.
Jesus showed the official that He didn’t need to go anywhere.
And He didn’t.
He stayed.
Not being obviously in the situation - ie rushing to the boy’s sick-bed - did not mean that Jesus was not in the situation.
In our lives, and in the news, it can be hard to find Jesus at times.
That doesn’t mean He’s not there.
My times are in your hands
Psalm 31:15
The centurion’s son got better at the exact time Jesus said he would.
Lord Jesus,
Please help me to ask.
I give You my heart.
May I find delight in Your ways.
Amen
Mary’s Memo Ask Jesus