Commentary on the Gospel of
Sometimes it is not even our own experience with God that impacts our relationship with him. We can know him more, love him more and even meet him for the first time through his interaction with others. In today’s Gospel message from John, Jesus is greeted by a man whose son is ill in Capernaum. The man asks him to heal his son and Jesus assures him that when he arrives home, he will be well. “The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he and his whole household came to believe” (John 4:53).
None of the members of the household had seen or experienced Jesus in the flesh like the father of the sick child, but yet being a witness to the miracle of healing led them to believe. We don’t always have to be on the receiving end or the center of God’s work. When we have open eyes and open hearts, we can see him working in those around us. We can be amazed, be in awe, and feel his power by watching and listening.
This is extremely encouraging to me because my selfish nature is always asking God to show himself to me. I expect him to perform a miracle in my life or answer a specific prayer, and he might not decide to reveal himself in that way. Instead he might use the circumstances of those around me to speak to my heart.
