LIVING TESTIMONIES!

Monday, April 04, 2011

Lenten Weekday

By Lorenz S. Centino, Jr.

John 4: 43 - 54

43        After the two days he departed to Galilee.

44        For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.

45        So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they too had gone to the feast.

46        So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Caper'na-um there was an official whose son was ill.

47        When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.

48        Jesus therefore said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe."

49        The official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."

50        Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way.

51        As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was living.

52        So he asked them the hour when he began to mend, and they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."

53        The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live"; and he himself believed, and all his household.

54        This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:

A BLESSED MONDAY TO ALL!!!

To the very practical and logical person, which seem to be the outlook of our highly modernized and technologically captive generation, to SEE is to BELIEVE. Anything claimed by anyone to be spectacular or extraordinary must be supported by evidence or proof of legitimacy to become acceptable and credible. Otherwise, what is claimed would just be dismissed as plain none sense or fictional. It is very common an experience that we come to BELIEVE easily when we have a DIRECT and FIRST-HAND experience. We cannot just simply accept anything claimed to be true.

In the Gospel today an Official, probably from King Herod, came to see Jesus to beg him to heal his sick and dying child. This official must have HEARD the many STORIES about the spectacular and extraordinary works of Jesus. He could have heard stories that give accounts to the miracles of healing that Jesus had been accomplishing before the public. He could have come to see Jesus to try his LUCK of having his child get healed. And so Jesus could also have TESTED the official’s opinion about him. Jesus could have tested the FAITH of this man when he said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe." This could mean that the official will ONLY believe when his child will be healed and be saved from death. If it will be the case, this official will just believe AFTER he will SEE personally the “PROOF” of believing. What about us, do we also come to God to try our CHANCE of LUCK that what we need and asked for could be granted? And so if ever what we asked is not granted, we will just dismiss it as luck not working on our side. In this case, we just deal with God like betting our chances for what is better for us. This is not faith.

The official proved that he came to Jesus because of his faith in him. He had faith in Jesus to give him what he would be asking. He believed that his son would be healed by Jesus. The man has his ASSURANCE in the WORD of Jesus. The Gospel tells us that “The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way.” The man believed in Jesus’ WORD before he can set his eyes upon his cured child. The man could be put to SHAME, considering his standing as a man of power and authority, going home seeing his dead son because he just put his trust in the word of  an ordinary carpenter. The man could also be despised publicly for his engagement with someone considered to be an instigator of conflict among the people for his new teachings and interpretations of their laws and traditions.

What about us, can we RISK our own comfort, position of authority and fame for Christ because of the assurance of his words and promises, especially the promise that if we BELIEVE in him we will not perish but have everlasting life? Can we come out of our own personal sanctuary and religiosity to SHARE and PROCLAIM our own STORY about the WONDERFUL things God has done for us, so that by our own story we can lead others to believe and seek Jesus on their own personal way? As Jesus made the second sign in Galilee, let us make our own personal STORIES be SIGNS of the MARVELOUS DEEDS God has done. Let us be LIVING TESTIMONIES of the POWER of the WORDS of God. But let us first allow Jesus to heal us from our UNBELIEF in him.