John 4:46-54
SS Lesson for 07/10/2022
Devotional Scripture: Matt 8:5-13
John’s Gospel can be divided into four major movements: an introduction (John 1:1–51), Jesus’ earthly ministry (2:1–11:57), the events of Passion Week (12:1–20:31), and an afterword (21:1–25). Today’s Scripture text comes from the second movement. This movement tells of Jesus’ earthly ministry through seven miraculous works (John 2:1–11; 4:43–54; 5:1–15; 6:1–15; 6:16–24; 9:1–41; 11:1–57) and seven teaching discourses (see 2:12–3:36; 4:1–42; 5:16–47; 6:25–71; 7:1–8:59; 10:1–21; 10:22–42). Presented together, these moments flesh out the nature of Jesus’ ministry and provide evidence “that this is God’s Chosen One” (1:34). This lesson’s Scripture text comes as Jesus returns to Galilee, the region of his first public miracle at Cana (see John 2:1–11). Following that miracle, Jesus traveled to Jerusalem in Judea for the Passover (2:13). While in Jerusalem, Jesus corrected unholy occurrences at the temple area (see 2:14–24) and addressed a religious leader (see 3:1–21). The text does not give insight for how long Jesus stayed in Judea. Realizing the Pharisees were noticing his popularity, Jesus returned to Galilee via Samaria (John 4:1–4). After a two-day stop in Samaria (4:43), Jesus arrived in Galilee. The miracle worker of Galilee had returned! The way John presents Jesus’ teachings and miraculous works highlights their continuity and gives evidence that Jesus is more than a Galilean miracle worker. Jesus quenched the thirst of the wedding party in Cana (John 2:7–10), then taught a Samaritan woman how to quench her spiritual thirst (4:10–15). Similarly, Jesus taught how he could provide eternal life and backed up that claim by restoring physical life to a young child (4:43–54). John’s inclusion of Jesus’ teachings reveals that Jesus is more than a miracle worker. Jesus is the Son of God, who brings eternal life (3:14–15) and living water (4:13–14). John’s Gospel places a high emphasis on Jesus’ miraculous works. These works serve as signs of Jesus’ identity as the Son of God (John 20:30–31). Despite these miraculous signs, John’s Gospel acknowledges that many people would not accept or listen to Jesus (examples: 1:11; 2:18).
So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." And he himself believed, and his whole household
4:39. The little revival among the Samaritans is notable because the theme of natural rejection by Israel had been sounded (1:11) as well as the note of a wider ministry (3:16; cf. Acts 1:8). The testimony of the woman, though, from one point of view was unnecessary (“not that I accept human testimony,” John 5:34); yet it was effective. That Jesus knows what is in a person and that He has comprehensive knowledge of one’s life is an indication of His deity (Ps. 139; John 1:47-49; 2:24-25).
4:40-41. The witness of the woman led to the Samaritans’ personal confrontation with Jesus. He stayed with them two days. The word “stayed” (from menō, “to remain, to abide”) is a favorite Johannine theological term (cf. 3:36; 6:56; 15:4; etc.; and 1:38). Because of His words many more became believers. “Words” is singular in Greek (“His word”). His message was the cause of their faith. Personal testimony plus the message of Jesus is still God’s means of salvation.
4:42. Faith based simply on the testimony of another is only secondary. True faith moves to its own experience and confrontation with Jesus. We have heard for ourselves is the more adequate basis. Jesus is the Savior of the world, not in the sense that everyone will be saved (universalism) but that His light shines for all (1:9). The light is not limited to the nation Israel, but is for “every nation, tribe, people, and language” (Rev. 7:9).
4:43-45. After His two-day ministry in Samaria, Jesus and His disciples continued north into Galilee. Now Jesus Himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country. This proverbial saying mentioned by Jesus (cf. Matt. 13:57; Mark 6:4) is cited by the author John. Is His “own country” Judea or Galilee? Or is His “own country” heaven, with His being rejected in His “own land” Israel? Generally Galilee was more favorable to Him, but even there men tried to kill Him (Luke 4:18-30). John was perhaps preparing his readers for the upcoming rejection; he may have been saying that even with the warm reception Jesus received in Galilee, He still was not really accepted (cf. John 2:24-25; 4:48). They had been impressed by His clearing the temple at the Passover feast (2:13-22) and His miracles (2:23). But the people’s enthusiasm for the Healer (cf. Mark 5:21, 24b) did not always indicate they had faith in Him (Mark 6:1-6).
4:46-47. The certain royal official is not identified. He could have been a Gentile or a Jew, a centurion, or a minor official in Herod’s court. Possibly he was a Jew because Jesus included him among the people who desire signs and wonders (v. 48; cf. 1 Cor. 1:22). His son had been sick, and undoubtedly he had exhausted all the local means at his disposal. Failure of position and money to solve his problem drove him from Capernaum to the village of Cana, 20 to 25 miles away, hoping that the Healer would save his son from death.
4:48. Jesus’ address to him, though sharp, was necessary. A faith built only on miraculous signs is not a complete faith (cf. 2:23-25). Many (you people) hesitate to believe in Jesus apart from seeing miraculous signs (sēmeia) and wonders (terata). Faith in Jesus is absolutely necessary, but not all believers are given public portents (cf. Matt. 16:1-4; 1 Cor. 1:22).
4:49. The official was in no position emotionally to argue his case theologically. All he could plead for was mercy, for his child was at the point of death.
4:50. Jesus’ calm reply to the official’s desperate request created a crisis. Jesus announced, You may go. Your son will live. If the official really believed that Jesus could make a difference in Capernaum, he must also believe Him now in Cana. So he took Jesus at His word and left.
4:51-53. On the way back the official must have pondered Jesus’ promise every step of his journey. His servants met him with good news. His boy was living. The official asked when his son recovered. The healing was no accident, for it occurred at the exact moment Jesus made His promise to him. It was at the seventh hour, which by Roman time was 7:00 in the evening. The man’s faith grew, and he brought all his household to faith. The lesson of this incident is that Jesus’ power is able to save from death even at a great distance. His Word has power to work; people are simply to believe His Word.
4:54. Both signs in Galilee (changing the water into wine [2:1-11] and healing the official’s son) demonstrate that Jesus is the Promised One. Yet both signs had a certain hidden aspect to them. Only the disciples and some servants saw His miracle at the wedding, and this healing was not in public view.
(Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV)
46 So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.
47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
48 Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."
49 The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!"
50 Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.
7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
8 My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, Lord, I will seek.
17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.
15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!"
52 Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."
53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." And he himself believed, and his whole household.
54 This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.
10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."
24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.
21 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." 28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." 29 "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." 28 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
48 "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe."
10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.
46 Now he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had made the water wine. In Capernaum there was a certain royal official whose son was sick. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was about to die. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders you will never believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go home; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and set off for home.
Because others have made much of it, I will mention the fact that some say this story is just another version of the healing of the centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:2-10). The similarities are very few; the differences are many. Allow me to mention some of these differences:
· The Centurion was a Gentile; the Royal Official appears to be Jewish.
· The Centurion’s slave suffered from a paralysis; the Royal Official’s son was ill with a fever.
· The Centurion is in Capernaum; the Royal Official is in Cana.
· The Centurion’s faith wins Jesus’ praise; the Royal Official and others are rebuked for a deficient faith.
· The Centurion urges Jesus not to come, but only to speak the word; the Royal Official urges Jesus to come.
· The Centurion has Jewish elders to plead his case; the Royal Official pleads with Jesus personally.
I think we can safely assume that the miracle of the healing of the royal official’s son is unique, as is most of the material in the Gospel of John.
Jesus returns to Cana of Galilee, where He turned water into wine (John 2:1-11). A royal official living in Capernaum hears that Jesus is once again at Cana. The official’s son is at the point of death and this father is desperate, as anyone who has ever been in his predicament knows. Jesus is his last and only hope to save his son. He hastily makes the 20 mile trek to Cana, in search of Jesus. When he finds Jesus, he pleads with Him to return immediately with him to Capernaum and to heal his son, who is about to die.
Our Lord’s response to the royal official is puzzling, almost disturbing: “So Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders you will never believe.’” The NET Bible, along with some other translations, indicates that the “you” in verse 48 is plural, and not singular. Jesus is therefore speaking to a larger audience than just the royal official. It is my assumption that the royal official asks around town to find out where Jesus is staying. As he does, a small crowd of curious bystanders gathers around the royal official and follows him to where Jesus is staying, hoping to see Jesus perform a miracle. Jesus has left Judea and come to Galilee to avoid the crowds. He does not wish to create undue messianic excitement too soon. Thus, our Lord does not seem eager to perform a miracle in a way which will draw attention to Himself.
I suspect that if our Lord had accompanied the royal official home to Capernaum, a crowd would have followed Him there too. Had they witnessed the healing of this lad, they would have told others, and many would have flocked to our Lord for healing. Jesus does not want this situation to arise. Our Lord’s response to the official, as well as to those gathered, achieves His desire to disperse the crowd. His words are a rebuke. These Galileans do not really believe in Him as the Messiah. They simply know of the signs He has performed elsewhere and want to see if He will do the same (or even more) for them. Jesus rightly rebukes them for being interested only in His miracles and not taking to heart what these signs signify. Our Lord’s words of rebuke send a message that Jesus is not going to “jump through their hoops” on this occasion. If they have come only to see signs, they will not see one now. The only thing they get is a rebuke.
Why stick around if nothing sensational is going to happen? I think the crowds left. It is true that Jesus’ next words should give them pause for thought. Jesus tells the man, “Go home; your son will live.” Looking back from our vantage point in time, you and I would expect the whole town to follow the official back to Capernaum to see if our Lord’s words actually come to pass. But remember that these people are sign-seekers, not men and women of faith. They are those who do not trust in Jesus as their Messiah. When they hear our Lord say, “Go home; your son will live,” they probably say to themselves, “Yeah, right!” I think they believe that His words are only intended to get rid of this persistent father, not words of assurance that his son really has been healed. We are not told that anyone accompanies the official to Capernaum, or that anyone other than his own servants come to trust in Jesus. The crowd disperses, and the sign-seekers go away disappointed, and perhaps a little angry.
But if our Lord rebukes the crowd, He seems to include the royal official as well. Does our Lord not seem to lack compassion toward this desperate man, whose only concern is the well-being of his son? Some might be tempted to ask, “How can Jesus be so rude, so insensitive, so critical?” Let me suggest that the solution to this dilemma may be found in the Gospel of Mark:
24 Jesus left there and went to the region of Tyre. When he went into a house, he did not want anyone to know, but he was not able to escape notice. 25 Instead, a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him and came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, of Syrophoenician origin. She asked him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and to throw it to the dogs.” 28 She answered, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he said to her, “Because you said this, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.” 30 She went home and found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone (Mark 7:24-30).
Is our Lord being unduly harsh with this Gentile woman, who begs Him to cast the demon out of her daughter? I think not. First of all, what Jesus says is true. He has come “to the Jew first” and then to the Gentiles (see Matthew 10:5-6; Romans 1:16; 2:9-10). Beyond this, I believe our Lord is dealing with this woman in a way that inspires faith. Having heard Jesus, does this woman cower and walk away? No; she presses Jesus even harder for her daughter’s sake, reminding Him that Gentiles are to benefit from His coming as well as the Jews.
I believe the same thing is taking place in our text. The on-lookers are merely sign-seekers, and our Lord’s words seem to send them home. The royal official is not about to let his son die, and he knows that Jesus is his only hope. It may be that his faith is weak, that he needs to see to believe, but he does believe that Jesus is able to heal his son, and so he persists with his request. I believe our Lord’s words press him in the right direction. They are not intended to turn him away, but to turn him to Jesus in faith.
It seems from what we are told that this official believes the saying, “Where there’s life, there’s hope.” He thinks Jesus can heal the sick, but not raise the dead. And no wonder he thinks so, for Jesus has not yet raised anyone from the dead. The royal official seems to believe that Jesus can heal his son if He is at his side, but not from 20 miles away. Jesus now says to this official, “Go home; your son will live,” and the official goes home. This man’s faith seems to grow in the few moments he pleads with Jesus. And so the official leaves to return to his son, believing the word of our Lord.
I am reminded of my days as a seminary student in the Masters Program. I signed up for a class taught by Dr. S. Lewis Johnson. Dr. Johnson was then teaching at Believers Chapel, where I attended, and I was greatly blessed by his ministry. I wanted to take every class he offered at the seminary. When his class, “Paul’s Use of the Old Testament,” was offered, I signed up. The first day of class Dr. Johnson was obviously surprised at how many had signed up—more than he expected—more than he wanted. And so Dr. Johnson proceeded to inform the class that this was a “doctoral level” class that would be too difficult for others. He literally invited a number of us to get up and leave, and to sign up for something else. I didn’t move. I wanted that class, and I was not going to let him scare me out of it. I survived the class and did reasonably well. His words caused some to “fall away,” but not me. I knew what I wanted, and I knew he was the one I wanted it from. That is the way it was with the royal official and Jesus.
51 While he was on his way down, his slaves met him and told him that his son would live. 52 So he asked them the time when his condition began to improve, and they told him, “Yesterday at one o’clock in the afternoon the fever left him.” 53 Then the father realized that was the very time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live”; and he himself believed along with his entire household. 54 Jesus did this as his second miraculous sign when he came from Judea to Galilee.
Jesus tells the royal official, “Go home; your son will live.” The official does not get what he asks for; Jesus does not volunteer to return to Capernaum with him. Nevertheless, the man believes Jesus and leaves Him to return home. Exactly what does he believe? I think that he trusts Jesus, not knowing exactly what He meant. He understands Jesus to say that his son has not yet died, and that he will not die. As he makes his way home, his mind must be racing as he considers all the possibilities. While still on his way, he is met by his servants, who have news of the boy’s condition and do not want their master to agonize any longer than necessary.
We should pause momentarily to view this incident from the servants’ point of view. Their master’s son becomes very ill, and they watch helplessly as his temperature climbs dangerously high. They know that if something does not happen quickly, the boy will die. They watch as, in desperation, their master hastens to Cana of Galilee, hoping to find Jesus and to convince Him to come and heal the lad. The child’s condition continues to deteriorate after their master leaves. They begin to lose all hope. They hate to think of how their master will respond when he returns home to find his son dead. Then, suddenly, the child’s fever breaks, and he begins to improve rapidly. They know the danger is past and that he will live. They do not have any clue as to how it happened, but they do not wish their master to agonize any longer than necessary. And so some servants go out to meet their master and to give him the good news.
As soon as their master is in sight, they call out the good news that his son will live. The words sound strikingly similar to the assurance our Lord has given the father just a few hours before. You can almost see the face of this father, the look of relief and joy that comes over him. And then there must be a subtle change of expression to a more thoughtful look. The father is starting to put the pieces together. He recognizes (as his servants do not) the relationship between the words of Jesus and the words of his servants. Jesus was right. The royal official’s faith in Him is well-founded. But now the ruler begins to wonder about these words. Has Jesus spoken as a prophet, assuring him that the child will not die, and will get better on his own? Or, did Jesus produce a miraculous “long distance” healing as he spoke some eight hours earlier, assuring him that the boy would live?
There is a way to find out. The ruler poses this question to his servants: “Just exactly what time was it when the boy suddenly improved?” They tell him it was 1:00 o’clock when the turning point came. Then he knows for certain, for he knows that was precisely the time Jesus assured him of the child’s well-being. It is a miracle indeed, a miracle brought about by our Lord speaking only a word. It is a miracle not unlike creation, when He spoke the world into existence (see John 1:1-3; see Hebrews 11:3; Genesis 1).
The father knows he has witnessed a miracle, and he “believes,” along with his entire household. Have we not already been told that he “believed” in verse 50? In that passage, the official believed what Jesus said. The belief I see in verse 53 is a deeper, more informed belief, a belief in Jesus as the Messiah, as the Savior of the world. This man and his whole household become a household of faith. This is the way faith is. Look at the disciples in the Gospels. In John chapter 1, several disciples come to believe in Jesus as the promised Messiah. Then they observe the Lord changing water into wine, and we are once again told that they believe in Jesus (John 2:11). Throughout the life of our Lord, more and more miracles are performed as the disciples witness them. And the more they see of Him, the more their faith in Him grows. Faith is not a static thing, something we experience once and then it remains constant. Our faith should grow as we come to know our Lord and His Word better, as we see that this One in whom we have placed our trust is even greater than we imagined!
John tells us in verse 54 that this is the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed when He came from Judea to Galilee. This cannot mean that He performed only two signs, for we know that John has been very selective (John 2:23; 3:2; 20:30-31) in the signs he has chosen to record. It is the second of his “selected signs,” employed to bring men and women to faith in Jesus as the promised Savior.
(Adapted from URL:https://bible.org/seriespage/11-jesus-heals-royal-official-s-son-john-443-54)
Beyond the detail of the son’s fever (John 4:52), we are left wondering about the son’s ailment. Perhaps it was a respiratory illness similar to the modern outbreaks of MERS or SARS. Whatever the ailment, it was not more than Jesus could handle—even from a distance! In addition to leading to humanity’s belief (see John 20:30–31), Jesus’ repeated acts of healing show us God’s concern for humanity’s ailments. Human suffering is unavoidable—just watch the nightly news! Only God has the power to heal every illness, hurt, and pain. Ultimately, Jesus’ physical healings testify to God’s ultimate healing project—the spiritual healing of all who believe. As Jesus’ disciples today, we set our eyes on this ultimate healing that is available only through faith in the Son of God. True disciples live for the promise of Jesus that he will someday raise believers from the dead and give them eternal life. Only by faith can people become disciples of Jesus and experience the complete and final healing he brings. Even when Jesus feels far away, does our lives reflect our belief that he’s never too far way to provide healing—in this life or in the life to come?
Faith for Healing - On this one occasion, Jesus tested a father's faith, a nobleman, with a terminally ill son. The father had to put his confidence in Jesus' words alone without seeing the results unfold in front of him. The nobleman must have seen or heard about Jesus and His supernatural acts. No doubt the family had consulted physicians in their area concerning the son's illness. The father was desperate and made a 15-20 mile journey from the north shore of the Sea of Galilee to Cana to find Jesus. The father requested his son's healing, but Jesus didn't answer him right away. Instead, the Master responded by rebuking the father and the crowd around Him, charging them with following Him because of the signs and wonders He was doing. Jesus knew this father had not come for a spiritual conversion but a miracle for his son.
Healed - The nobleman continued to plead for the life of his son. Jesus told the father to go home. His son was healed. The nobleman placed his confidence in Jesus' words and passed the faith test. He headed home believing he'd embrace a healed son once he reached his front door. Before the nobleman reached his house, a servant met him and reported his son was healed. When the father asked what time it happened, he discovered it was the same hour Jesus said his son would live. This miracle caused the nobleman and his entire household to place their faith in Christ. This is a perfect illustration of John's purpose in writing this Gospel: "These [signs] are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31).
Faith for Salvation - The question for those today who have not witnessed divine acts is this: "Will you still trust Christ for your salvation, convinced He is from God, the Messiah, without seeing signs and wonders? Will you bow in humility before the Master without God rescuing you from a crisis or answering a gigantic prayer request?" Jesus desires worship because He is Lord, not because He grants our every wish and whim.