Inspired By John 4*43 - 54

There is a big contrast between the Samaritans Christ left behind in Sychar and the Galileans He would visit next.  The Samaritans believed in Christ because of His message alone.  They needed no signs and wonders, as did their next door neighbors, the Galileans.  Christ preferred the Samaritan approach: they heard and they believed.

The Galileans knew of Christ’s activities while at the feast in Jerusalem.  They welcomed Him with open arms because of what they had seen before.  It’s within this setting the noble asked Jesus to make the marathon journey from Cana to Capernaum to heal his son.  That’s quite the bold request!  

“Will You walk for 7 to 10 hours to heal my dying son?”  

If the son was about to die… he may have died before their journey’s end.  Throughout the gospels and Acts it seems as though walking was the primary form of transportation.  Google maps shows the stretch of today’s paved roads and freeways between the two cities is a marathon’s distance apart: a little over 26 miles.

This conversation took place in the early afternoon (see v. 52 - 53).  I do not know if people traveled during hours of darkness.  If they left immediately, they may have reached Capernaum before nightfall.  At the very least, I would not start a marathon stroll without being well provisioned for the journey if I intended to travel nonstop.

Christ responded to the noble, but His comment targeted all who were within range to hear His words.  His reply, in contemporary parlance:

“If not for the signs and wonders all y’all see, not at all will all y’all believe.”

Signs and wonders are evidence.  Signs confirm, corroborate, and or authenticate the one displaying the sign.   Wonders are the supernatural events that leave lasting impressions on the spectators.  They become evidence that warrants, merits, or justifies the belief.  The more educated and intelligent the person, the greater the craving and clamoring for signs & wonders and evidence & knowledge.

Faith gets choked out when the quest for knowledge and evidence increases.  Again, knowledge and intelligence could very well be the arch nemesis of faith.  They demand their proofs before belief in Christ is attained.  Without signs and wonders, the intelligentsia have no reason or desire to believe in Christ.  At best, their belief is in what was done more so than the One who done it.  So…  they really are not in league with Christ.

Faith is the ability and willingness to believe when signs & wonders are insufficient and evidence & knowledge are incomplete (Hebrews 11*1).  True faith comes from the inside out; it requires no additional external stimulus once I accept and believe in Christ’s greatest deed already accomplished on the cross… a sign and wonder I will never witness. I have no evidence beyond God’s Word.  I have no knowledge beyond what I find in the Word of God.  Nor can I provide evidence of my saintly status that comes from God through Christ’s death on the cross.  I cannot put forth enough knowledge and evidence (nor signs and wonders) to convince another of the gracious mercies God blesses me with every single day.  All I possess is the gospel of Christ in its simplicity.  The song, “Great Things” says it quite well:

“Oh, hero of Heaven, You conquered the grave

You free every captive and break every chain

Oh God, You have done great things…”

Do you believe in Him because of Him alone?  

Are you still waiting and searching for that one illusive piece of evidence that confirms, corroborates, and or authenticates Christ as your Lord and Redeemer?

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

Tootles From The Doodles!!!