John 4:43-54 BT L4L

Intro

Jesus, Help me. A Tale of Two Faiths.

In this episode we are going to talk about faith.

Our western world is increasingly non-religious and if you haven’t been a church person or religious person you might not hear talk of faith all that much.

But we talk about and think about faith all the time - though we might not realize it. We just use words like trust o and trust worthy. Whoever you think is trustworthy is who you have faith in.

No matter what you believe about God or whether you consider yourself religious you live by faith. We live by putting our faith in all sorts of people we don’t eve know to do a true or faithful job. I trust medicine makers to make medicine that won’t harm me. I trust the builders of my home, the makers of my car. I have tremendous faith in them and their companies and the government to ensure that those things are made safe to keep me and my family from harm. Everyday I put my faith into teachers teaching my children. We put faith into co-workers. Our careers, our families, our very lives are determined by faith decisions in others or in ourselves. We are always putting our faith in people or things.

We live by faith whether we like it or not.

A question -wh are you really putting your faith in? Or to say it a bit simpler who do you really trust?

And who do you kind of trust? There is a big difference there isn’t it. Some folks we kind of trust and some folks we really trust. Who you decide to trust will make or break your life. Who you decide to really trust, to really have faith in can change the outcome of your life.

This stories centers on of a few differenct folks and their faith in Jesus. i invite you to listen as I tell the story and then I’ll share a few thoughts on faith.

This is from john 4:43-54

Jesus leaves Samaria where a whole bunch of people believed him thanks to the witness of a woman of ill repute that jesus met at a well. Go listen to Jenna’s two episodes on that story - its a great one. ) He heads back to his homeland in galilee. “now remember- john tells us to remember - that jesus had a saying - A prophet is without honor in his own country.” So remember that

but what’s this?

the galileans welcomed Jesus warmly because they had seen all the things Jesus had being doing in jerusalem. They had been in jerusalem too. Hmm it seems like they are honoring prophet Jesus.

Ok, now pause here. At the end of John 2 we hear that many people are believing in Jesus because they saw the signs. But Jesus wasn’t trusting them because he knew people. That’s a bit of what is happening here. His hometown buddies seem to believe because they have seen the cool signs and miracles, but Jesus is skeptical of this faith. This seems like a kind of faith. Lots of people seem to have faith in jesus - but jesus isn’t buying it.

So in his home land he ends up back at Cana where the water into wine wedding happened. In Cana a royal official who’s son was sick back in capernaum about 20 miles away shows up on the scene. He has heard that jesus is back from Jerusalem. he comes to jesus and asks,

“Jesus, please come and heal my son, the boy is about to die.”

jesus says to him - Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.” (Ther is no way around that being harsh. Many of us tend to like our Jesus to be a really nice guy. However you slice this is not a nice thing to say. This is a genuine plea for help for a sick child. Jesus responds like this a few times though - he sort of gave mary the cold shoulder in John 2 when she hoped he would do something about the wine running out. IN another gospel he wil give a harsh word to a woman looking for a miracle.” Ok so Jesus says, Unless you people see signs and wonder you will never believe.

The man responds, “sir please come before my boy dies.”

jesus says - you may go home. He lives!

the man trusts the word of Jesus and he starts back home. The man trusts jesus and he goes on the 20 mile journey home to his son with just the word of jesus spoken.

As he coming down the mountain towards home his servants come up to greet him. Your son is alive! “what time did the boy start to get better.

Yesterday at one o clock in the after his fever suddenly left.

The father knew is was that same the jesus said to him - he lives.

The man believed and his whole household believed. This was the 2nd sign that Jesus when he came out of Judea into Galilee.

There is some kind of faith in this story and the gospel of john and there is some true faith. Jesus sees a lot of kind of faith. Kind of faith is the onlookers who sees miracles and get excited. oh wow look what we have here. I believe in that guy. Look what he is able to do that’s amazing. Jesus is skeptical of that faith. He is skeptical of faith that demands signs and wonders. UNless I do this you won’t believe? He is skeptical he doesn’t trust those folks.

As we will see -he is correct to not trust those folks. Those with that type of faith when things get rough are willing to turn on jesus. The crowds that get so excited will get excited to crucify him later in the story.

There is demanding faith - that says, prove to me what you can do and I will believe. Jesus prove it, then I’ll believe. Its a stand off at the side looking in. Show me what you can do before I get involved. Or maybe its a step further - i love what you doing. I believe in my head. I believe so long as i don’t really have to do anything different. I believe - but yea don’t test me on whether that belief is real or not. Yes I love you, I told you I love - why is important that i marry you?

And then there is the faith of the man with a sick child. Probably not much of a religious man. AN officialm probably an esteemed guy who had a lot of faith in himself but something real has gone wrong in his life and he needs someone bigger than himself. He doesn’t need a guy who can do magic tricks of keep him entertained he needs someone he can trust. he needs someone who can delive in matters of life and death. He doesn’t need to reflect on whether God is real or have an objective position on whether jesus is Israel’s messiah. His son is sick and he need some who he can trust to help.

So he goes to Jesus, 20 miles away. That’s faith.

And he goes to jesus and says, Jesus, help me my son is sick and dying. That’s real faith.

And then Jesus presses in him on him in his helplessnes. You people want signs and wonders. Jesus rebukes him a bit. Jesus isn’t nice to him in his difficult state - He doesn’t back down. That’s faith.

Sir, please help. before my little boy dies.

Jesus says he lives and the man believe the word of Jesus. He trusts not a sign or wonder but the word and authority of Jesus himself. And he goes on a 20 mile journey not with a vision of a miracle, but with a trust in the word of Jesus.

That’s a radically different faith. WE can have an onlookers faith and be intriqued by the miracles. Or we can have the fiath of a desperate father who really has to trust jesus, his word and his authority. Its such a real faith. Its a faith that comes from a place of deep need. He needs Jesus to deliver right here right now.

The faith of the onlooker who demands miracles will not last. The objective outside looking in faith isn’t sustaining faith.

Real faith is an experienced faith. He trusts jesus with something real. He doesn’t demand a sign or wonder - he needs help for his son and he goes to jesus. He gets a word from Jesus and he believes that word. He believes and trust on a 20 mile journey one way. He believes and trusts Jesus when doesn’t get the answer he wants. He believe and trust Jesus for the 20 mile journey home - that’s a living faith.

This gospel of John was written down and shared throughou the roman empire and the world to so that people might believe in Jesus and find life in his name and his power and his authority and trust his word.

We put out faith and trust in all sorts of people and things. Will you put your trust and your faith in jesus. It is a matter of life and death. Is he the one who is worthy of your trust. Is he the word you can trust to deliver you when you have a desperate need - is he the one you can turn to and trust.

If not him than who?