John 4:47-51 NRSVue

⁴⁷When 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. ⁴⁸Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” ⁴⁹The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my little boy dies.” ⁵⁰Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. ⁵¹As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive.

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Some thoughts on this scripture

Reflection
At first Jesus recoils when the official begs him to cure his son: /Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe./ He is exposed to countless requests for help, but what he treasures most is the company of those – like Martha's sister Mary - who want to know God for Himself, not for what he can deliver. After the child is healed, and the father returns in gratitude and faith, Jesus welcomes him.

Reflection
Lord, forgive me for the times I have treated you like a messenger boy. I turn to you in a crisis, begging for a favour. When the crisis passes, I easily go back to living as though you did not exist. I want to find time for you, to live in your presence.

Reflection
In this story Jesus shows who he is. Cana is the place of self-revelation of Jesus, first changing water onto wine to show he is the fulfillment of the Hebrew scriptures, and now that he is the healer. Jesus is more than meets the eye; he is the son of Mary and grew up in an ordinary way in Nazareth. He is also the Son of God, the one expected for many years.

Reflection
In prayer we always see the new Jesus. If we watch him in a story like this, listening to what he says and watching what he does, we will always find something new in him, like we find in a spouse or friend over the years. Ask just to see Jesus as he really is.

Reflection
Jesus' healing power seemed to be activated only by faith. With the faith of the royal official, maybe one of a group hostile to him, Jesus healed the son a day's walk away. The new era which he had announced at the Cana mystery of the water into wine, takes even more human meaning now as a dying young man is healed.

Reflection
Prayer is of itself healing, since it is our contact-point with the divine in creation, in Jesus and in the Holy Spirit. Our faith in prayer activates the energy in Jesus which strengthens and heals our spirits.