The Man Took Jesus At His Word
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Thursday: First Week of Lent
John 4:43-54
Are you better at giving instructions or receiving them?
When the royal official heard that Jesus had arrived, he knew he had to get to Him as soon as he could. This man had a desperate need and Jesus was his only hope. The anticipation grew as he expected Jesus to come and heal his son, but then to have Jesus respond bluntly to his request would have shattered anyone’s hope. However, it revealed his heart. It revealed that the man wanted Jesus’ help more than anything.
Seeing his faith, Jesus promises He has taken care of the man’s need. “The man took Jesus at his word and departed” (4:50). It wasn’t enough for him to believe Jesus’ words simply, he also acted in faith. In the midst of this encounter, the official received confirmation that his son was healed at the precise time when Jesus said, “your son will live” (4:53). It was a new realization for him, not of what Jesus could do but of who Jesus was. He had authority over all illness and was not bound by distance or time. When this man understood that, he and his whole household believed.
Hebrews 12:1-2a says, “let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” This is what Jesus came to do—to bestow faith and make it grow. He may not always answer our prayers the way we expect Him to but in doing so He makes us more aware of who He is and enables us to exercise greater faith.
Which area in your life do you need to exercise deep faith and action in Jesus’ words and why?
Eileen Li is English Ministry Pastor at North Shore Pacific Grace MB Church in Vancouver, BC. [/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/4″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_button size=”regular” block=”true” circle=”false” icon_only=”false” href=”http://mbseminary.ca/believe” title=”Believe” target=”blank” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””]Believe
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