1 Minute Gospel. Come down

Reading

John 4:43-54

43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there.

46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”

The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”

53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed.

54 This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.

Meditation

The Galileans followed Jesus to Jerusalem on the occasion of Easter to witness his miracles and still retain the memory of the transformation of water into wine at the wedding in Cana. They have kept his wonders in his memory but their favorable reception is determined more by Jesus' reputation as a healer than by the recognition in him of the Messiah.

His fame also reached an official of King Herod who came from afar to ask for the healing of his seriously ill son. Jesus has words of reproof towards those who continually look for signs to believe and in these signs, they do not know how to see the kingdom of God that makes itself present. However, he does not refuse to grant the royal official's request, who humbly insists on renewing it.

The royal official made a journey of almost ten hours to go from Capernaum to Cana to meet Jesus. How long is our hope capable of "walking" to meet the salvation that has become present among us? How much do we commit ourselves in our journey of faith to distance ourselves from what keeps us away from God, going towards forgiveness and life?

The official asks Jesus twice to "come down" (vv. 49) to reach his son before he dies, but Jesus, who has power over life and death, performs distant healing. It will be the official to "go down", in a return home full of faith in the efficacy of the words of Jesus: "your son will live" (v. 50).

Jesus does not perform any surprising action, nor does he need to recite a long prayer or do anything, his word is a word that always has an effect; the moment he affirms the life of the official's son, he is torn from death.

Back home, the official inquires about the exact time when the son is healed. The greater the attention with which we consider the works of God, the more our faith grows. This is why the whole house believed in him (v. 53). Just as the word of God, carefully meditated, helps us to recognize his providence, so his providence, consciously observed, helps us to understand his word.

The experience of the efficacy of a single word of Christ is sufficient for him to be able to conquer our souls and make us witnesses of his grace.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, who came down to us with your incarnation, give us back fully to the life of grace so that we can bear witness to your name with joy. Amen.

- Rev. Dr. Luca Vona