[Journey with Jesus – Day 6]
As one of Herod Antipas’s officials, based in Capernaum, it’s my job to have my ear to the ground and work out if there’s any trouble brewing. So, of course, we knew all about the baptiser. Hordes of people from all over Judea and Galilee went out to him by the river Jordan – some because they were interested, others because they felt he had something they wanted. I heard that the crowd was a real mixed bunch – people from all walks of life, from peasants to tax collectors to hardened soldiers. And over time the crowds grew and grew, so we wondered if trouble would break out, but it never did. While all that was going on, we heard about something else extraordinary that had happened, but in our neck of the woods, this time. There was a wedding at Cana – nothing out of the ordinary about that, I know, but rumour has it that a miracle occurred there. Apparently, the wine had run out – a real social faux pas at these Jewish celebrations – but some chap had instructed the servers to fill six of these enormous jars with water, and when that water was poured out, it had turned into wine. One of my friends was there – he hadn’t known about the apparent miraculous aspect of this, but was able to say that the wine which was served at the end of the feasting was the best he had ever tasted – unusual for the best to be saved until last on these occasions. Anyway, the person who had done this was a bloke called Jesus, from Nazareth, not too far away from us here. We’d known him as the local carpenter and handyman who had taken up his father’s trade. Clearly he was following another path.
Once someone does anything like that we start to keep tracks on them. We heard he had headed up to Jerusalem and caused some sort of disturbance in the temple, driving out the money lenders and traders and overturning the tables. He also was reported to have performed miracles there. That was the last thing we needed – some sort of healer – they tend to mean trouble. After Jerusalem he apparently went up to join with the baptiser and we wondered if they would join forces. But then Antipas had the baptiser arrested for criticising him for marrying his brother’s wife Herodius (we don’t comment about these sorts of things), so we wondered if this might send a message to this Jesus bloke too. But then, clearly not – the next thing we heard was news out of Samaria, many people in a town Sychar had become believers in this man, calling him the Messiah. And then he came back to Galilee and was making quite a stir with his teaching and the miracles he was reportedly performing.
I had been sceptical about all of this and dismissed it as exaggeration, to be honest; that was until the day my son woke up with a raging fever. The bed sheets were soaked with his sweat, and he looked incredibly pale. When we touched his forehead he was burning hot, and yet he was shivering uncontrollably. His mother and I were utterly terrified. What were we going to do? We contacted the local doctor who came over straight away, but shook his head and said there was nothing to do but to pray. Pray? I attended synagogue, but more out of habit than anything else. It was also a useful place to get wind of the latest gossip. My wife is more devout. It was her who suggested we find Jesus. “Have you heard what he can do? I believe he can help our boy.” I was sceptical, but had no better idea.
“Ok, we have nothing to lose,” I replied. I found out that Jesus was heading to Cana, where the miracle with the wine had taken place, so I made plans to meet him there and beg him to come with me to heal our son. It was a fifteen mile journey – I set off early to get there. When in Cana, I asked at the central square, “Is Jesus of Nazareth here, who was said to have turned water into wine?” He wasn’t at that point – he hadn’t yet arrived, so I waited at the town gate. Then, finally, someone pointed out this man to him – he was with a small group of young men. I didn’t care about dignity, all I cared about was the welfare of my son, so I fell in the dust before him. “Rabbi, Rabbi, please help me!”
“What is it you need?” he asked.
“It’s my son. He’s seriously ill with a fever. He’s about to die and we’re desperate.”
“Do you really believe I can help?” he asked, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe,” he replied. He had clearly sensed my scepticism. It’s true – I hadn’t believed what I was hearing and wouldn’t be here unless my wife had sent me, but now I was in the presence of this man, something – belief, hope maybe – was stirring within me.
“Sir, please,” I pleaded, “come down before my dear boy dies.”
“There’s no need,” he replied with a smile, “You can go home without me. Your son will live.”
I didn’t know what to say – I just muttered something incomprehensible, “Yes, wow, ok – thank you.” I mean, it was crazy – I had no evidence that anything had happened, all I had was the words of a complete stranger – and yet, I did believe him. The spark of hope had ignited. So, I embraced him, “Thank you, so, so much.” and almost ran out to set on the road. It was a long journey and I wouldn’t be able to complete it in the day, but the time flew by. Where I felt my footsteps dragging on the way to Cana, I was now fuelled by hope.
The next morning, as I was nearing our home in Capernaum, my servants greeted me, breathless with excitement. “Sir, sir, we have the most incredible news. Your son is alive – and well!”
I was not ashamed to weep with relief. “Oh, thank God,” I said. “When did he get better?”
“At one o’clock in the afternoon yesterday.” One o’clock. That was the very hour that Jesus had told me that my son would live.
“That’s wonderful, thank God, thank God. It’s a miracle!” I exclaimed and ran the rest of the way home. My wife and son were waiting for me, “It was Jesus!” I cried, “He did it! You’re alive and well, just as he said you would be!”
I looked at my dear, faithful wife. “I didn’t believe, not at all, but you did – you encouraged me to go to find Jesus. I believe now.”
Our whole household believed in Jesus that day. Our son had been given his life back – salvation had come to the house!
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