And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.
As he was returning homeward from Cana to Capernaum, the royal officer whose gravely ill son lay at the point of death was met by his servants with word that the child was alive. The cure was wrought by spoken word alone from more than twenty miles away, for at the very hour the assurance was given the fever left suddenly and completely with no trace of sickness remaining. The father trusted that assurance and set out in joy and confidence before any news reached him, and divine love restored the child while he was still away. The servants' report confirmed the promise, strengthened his faith, and led him with his whole household to believe and become joyful witnesses. The distant cure shows that healing power is not limited by distance, and calls for implicit faith that admits helpless need, relies on the promises, and comes to the Redeemer ready and willing to save all.
Setting and Distant Healing
The verse belongs to the story of the royal officer who came from Capernaum to Cana to seek Jesus for his son, who lay gravely ill at the point of death, and as the father was going down homeward his servants met him with the word that his son was alive. His hope had been encouraged by reports of Jesus' power to heal and by the miracle at Cana.
The father was a nobleman of honor, a Jew living at Capernaum also called a centurion, whose son was diseased and very low at the brink of the grave after the most learned physicians had pronounced the case incurable and said he must die. When he heard that Jesus had returned from Judea to Galilee and was at Cana, where He had miraculously changed water into wine and had driven the desecrators from the temple, he was encouraged to believe that One with such power could raise his son to health. Cana was quite a distance from Capernaum, and he feared the child might die while he was gone, yet he would not trust the errand to a servant, hoping the prayers of a fond parent would touch the heart of the great Physician with pity and induce Him to come to the bedside of the dying son.
The healing was done by the spoken word alone, without Jesus going to Capernaum, sending healing to the bedside from more than twenty miles away. At the very hour Jesus spoke, the seventh hour the day before, the fever left suddenly and completely in the heat of the day, and health, strength, and intelligence returned at once with no trace of sickness remaining. The servants' report that the child had recovered therefore confirmed that Jesus had healed him while distant from the home at the same hour He had said the son would live.
The father had left Jesus in joy and confidence with no doubt that the healing was done, and he hurried home with a light and hopeful heart. He found the child radiant in health and beauty running out to meet him, and he clasped him as one restored from the dead with repeated thanks to God. He responded to his son's restoration with joy and gratitude to God.
This was the second miracle Jesus did after coming out of Judea into Galilee, and the Galileans received Him having seen what He did at Jerusalem at the feast, the earlier water-made-wine miracle helping prepare the way. Its sudden and effectual cure by a word spoken at such distance greatly astonished the inhabitants of Capernaum and made them rejoice that One possessing such miraculous power was present in their own city.
In this the verse shows Jesus reaching the wealthy and influential as well as the poor, here bringing healing and hope to a Jewish nobleman by entering lives and interests to win access to hearts and reveal imperishable riches. It also presents the coming of a person from another nation to Christ to make request for the healing of a relative, moved by soul-longing for something he did not have though he did not know God or the truth. It is connected with Christ's compassionate attention that gave hope to the distressed mother when His touch and word drove away disease and restored the sick child to life and strength.
Faith, Witness and Lessons
The father took Jesus at His word and started home trusting the assurance that his son would live before any news reached him, and while he was still away divine love restored the child. He left in joy and confidence with no doubt that the cure was done, hurrying homeward with a light and hopeful heart. On the way down his servants met him with the glad report that his son was alive and had recovered. The fever had left suddenly and completely at the very hour Jesus spoke, the seventh hour on the day before, in the heat of the day, with health and strength and intelligence returning at once and no trace of sickness remaining. He found the child radiant in health running out to meet him, and clasped him as one restored from the dead with repeated thanks to God.
The servants' report confirmed the promise and strengthened the father's faith. That confirmation led him and his whole house to believe, and they became disciples who joyfully testified to their faith. Their affliction was thus sanctified to the conversion of the entire family. The family published the miracle through all Capernaum, and the healed son himself became a witness to Christ's power. This spreading of the news opened the way for further labors there, where many of His most wonderful works were done.
The cure was wrought by word alone while Jesus was far from the sufferer, more than twenty miles away, showing that His power to heal is not limited by distance. It confirms that Jesus is the world's Redeemer and gives encouragement. It also strengthened the faith of the disciples. The case teaches all followers to place implicit faith in Him as Redeemer, ready and willing to save all who come to Him. Those who come must set aside selfish motives, admit helplessness and bitter need, and rely on His promises. His sometimes delaying what is sought awakens a sense of deep need and of the true piety that entitles asking, and He gives rest to all the weary and heavy-laden who come to Him.
His words of hope to weary, unsatisfied souls, His instruction deeply impressing those who listened, and His healing of infirmities set an example to be practiced from one end of the world to another in speaking and acting for humanity at large. He reached the wealthy and influential as well as the poor, here bringing healing and hope to a Jewish nobleman. He entered lives and interests to win access to hearts and reveal imperishable riches. Even one from another nation, moved by soul-longing for something he did not have though he did not know God or the truth, came to make request for a relative and was deeply impressed by the word of truth.
As he was returning homeward from Cana to Capernaum, the royal officer whose gravely ill son lay at the point of death was met by his servants with word that the child was alive. The cure was wrought by spoken word alone from more than twenty miles away, for at the very hour the assurance was given the fever left suddenly and completely with no trace of sickness remaining. The father trusted that assurance and set out in joy and confidence before any news reached him, and divine love restored the child while he was still away. The servants' report confirmed the promise, strengthened his faith, and led him with his whole household to believe and become joyful witnesses. The distant cure shows that healing power is not limited by distance, and calls for implicit faith that admits helpless need, relies on the promises, and comes to the Redeemer ready and willing to save all.
Setting and Distant Healing
The verse belongs to the story of the royal officer who came from Capernaum to Cana to seek Jesus for his son, who lay gravely ill at the point of death, and as the father was going down homeward his servants met him with the word that his son was alive. His hope had been encouraged by reports of Jesus' power to heal and by the miracle at Cana.
The father was a nobleman of honor, a Jew living at Capernaum also called a centurion, whose son was diseased and very low at the brink of the grave after the most learned physicians had pronounced the case incurable and said he must die. When he heard that Jesus had returned from Judea to Galilee and was at Cana, where He had miraculously changed water into wine and had driven the desecrators from the temple, he was encouraged to believe that One with such power could raise his son to health. Cana was quite a distance from Capernaum, and he feared the child might die while he was gone, yet he would not trust the errand to a servant, hoping the prayers of a fond parent would touch the heart of the great Physician with pity and induce Him to come to the bedside of the dying son.
The healing was done by the spoken word alone, without Jesus going to Capernaum, sending healing to the bedside from more than twenty miles away. At the very hour Jesus spoke, the seventh hour the day before, the fever left suddenly and completely in the heat of the day, and health, strength, and intelligence returned at once with no trace of sickness remaining. The servants' report that the child had recovered therefore confirmed that Jesus had healed him while distant from the home at the same hour He had said the son would live.
The father had left Jesus in joy and confidence with no doubt that the healing was done, and he hurried home with a light and hopeful heart. He found the child radiant in health and beauty running out to meet him, and he clasped him as one restored from the dead with repeated thanks to God. He responded to his son's restoration with joy and gratitude to God.
This was the second miracle Jesus did after coming out of Judea into Galilee, and the Galileans received Him having seen what He did at Jerusalem at the feast, the earlier water-made-wine miracle helping prepare the way. Its sudden and effectual cure by a word spoken at such distance greatly astonished the inhabitants of Capernaum and made them rejoice that One possessing such miraculous power was present in their own city.
In this the verse shows Jesus reaching the wealthy and influential as well as the poor, here bringing healing and hope to a Jewish nobleman by entering lives and interests to win access to hearts and reveal imperishable riches. It also presents the coming of a person from another nation to Christ to make request for the healing of a relative, moved by soul-longing for something he did not have though he did not know God or the truth. It is connected with Christ's compassionate attention that gave hope to the distressed mother when His touch and word drove away disease and restored the sick child to life and strength.
Faith, Witness and Lessons
The father took Jesus at His word and started home trusting the assurance that his son would live before any news reached him, and while he was still away divine love restored the child. He left in joy and confidence with no doubt that the cure was done, hurrying homeward with a light and hopeful heart. On the way down his servants met him with the glad report that his son was alive and had recovered. The fever had left suddenly and completely at the very hour Jesus spoke, the seventh hour on the day before, in the heat of the day, with health and strength and intelligence returning at once and no trace of sickness remaining. He found the child radiant in health running out to meet him, and clasped him as one restored from the dead with repeated thanks to God.
The servants' report confirmed the promise and strengthened the father's faith. That confirmation led him and his whole house to believe, and they became disciples who joyfully testified to their faith. Their affliction was thus sanctified to the conversion of the entire family. The family published the miracle through all Capernaum, and the healed son himself became a witness to Christ's power. This spreading of the news opened the way for further labors there, where many of His most wonderful works were done.
The cure was wrought by word alone while Jesus was far from the sufferer, more than twenty miles away, showing that His power to heal is not limited by distance. It confirms that Jesus is the world's Redeemer and gives encouragement. It also strengthened the faith of the disciples. The case teaches all followers to place implicit faith in Him as Redeemer, ready and willing to save all who come to Him. Those who come must set aside selfish motives, admit helplessness and bitter need, and rely on His promises. His sometimes delaying what is sought awakens a sense of deep need and of the true piety that entitles asking, and He gives rest to all the weary and heavy-laden who come to Him.
His words of hope to weary, unsatisfied souls, His instruction deeply impressing those who listened, and His healing of infirmities set an example to be practiced from one end of the world to another in speaking and acting for humanity at large. He reached the wealthy and influential as well as the poor, here bringing healing and hope to a Jewish nobleman. He entered lives and interests to win access to hearts and reveal imperishable riches. Even one from another nation, moved by soul-longing for something he did not have though he did not know God or the truth, came to make request for a relative and was deeply impressed by the word of truth.