Faith Daily | 15 March 2021
PRAYER of the WEEK Lent Four
Almighty God,
in Christ you make all things new:
transform the poverty of our nature
by the riches of your grace,
and in the renewal of our lives
make known your heavenly glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen APBA p488
GOSPEL for the Day: John 4: 43-54
43 When the two days were over, he went from that place to Galilee 44(for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honour in the prophet’s own country). 45When he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the festival; for they too had gone to the festival.
46 Then he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. 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. 52So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, ‘Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.’ 53The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live.’ So he himself believed, along with his whole household. 54Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.
GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by Michelle Chapman
When Jesus returned home he was welcomed by the Galileans and followers from the Passover Festival in Jerusalem. Jesus then visited Cana and the followers may have wondered if there would be another miracle before their very eyes when a royal official arrived from Capernaum with a very distressing story.
The official had travelled 10 miles to Cana to beg Jesus to travel north to Capernaum to cure his dying son. How frightened, fearful and grief laden the father must have felt as he travelled the dusty road from Capernaum, leaving his dying son to petition Jesus.
When the official begged Jesus to go to Capernaum to heal his son Jesus tells him “unless you people see signs and wonders you will never believe”. What a powerful statement by the Son of God to demolish the perceived concept that Jesus needed to be at the place where/when miracles happened. Jesus then said “go, your son will live” and the official “took Jesus at his word and departed”.
The official and his whole household become believers as they understood the power of Jesus’ words to heal, not just that Jesus’ physical presence was needed. This journey of developing faith shows a ‘leap of faith’, including distress and hope.
The 2021 Lenten study “It’s all about hope” encourages us because “it is not just our hope in God that matters, but God’s hope in us that keeps on emerging”. Rainbows remind us of God’s covenant of love demonstrated in His creations, including us!
.
FINAL PRAYER: The Canticle, Saviour of the World APBA p414
Jesus, Saviour of the world,
come to us in your mercy:
we look to you to save and help us.
By your cross and your life laid down,
you set your people free:
we look to you to save and help us.
When they were ready to perish,
you saved your disciples:
we look to you to come to our help.
In the greatness of your mercy,
loose us from our chains:
forgive the sins of all your people.
Make yourself known as our saviour
and mighty deliverer:
save and help us that we may praise you.
Come now and dwell with us, Lord Christ Jesus:
hear our prayer and be with us always.
And when you come in your glory:
make us to be one with you
and to share the life of your kingdom.
Amen