John 4:45-54 and Luke 7:1-10

John 4:45-54 and Luke 7:1-10

Complete Jewish Bible

“He went again to Kanah in Galil, where He had turned the water into wine. An officer in the royal service was there, his son was ill in K’far-Nachum. This man, on hearing that YESHUA had come from Y’hudah to the Galil, went and asked Him to come down and heal his son, for his son was at the point of death. YESHUA answered, ‘Unless you people see signs and miracles, you simply will not trust.’ The officer said to Him, ‘Sir, come down before my child dies.’ YESHUA replied, ‘You may go, your son is alive.’ The man believed what YESHUA said and left. As he was going down, his servants met him with the news that his son was alive. So he asked them at what time he had gotten better; and they said, ‘The fever left him yesterday at one o’clock in the afternoon.’ The father knew that that was the very hour when YESHUA had told him, ‘Your son is alive’; and he and all his household trusted. This was a second sign that YESHUA did; He did it after He came down from Y’hudah into the Galil.” John 4:45-54

I have heard this passage taught many times on faith and obedience; but not on obedience and trust.

In the movie Risen in which a Roman military officer is struggling with the reality of having seen CHRIST dead on the cross and now being in His presence as a living man with the marks of the crucifixion. As he expresses to YESHUA that he does not even know what to ask, YESHUA says to him, “Imagine the difficulty they (waving His hand over the Eleven Disciples) will have telling those who have never seen.”

This is the true call of obedience and trust, those who never see YESHUA in person (vision or dream) or never get a healing or see a miracle yet believe and obey His call to disciple the nations into His eternal Kingdom.

This is faith and obedience! This is what most Christians face! And, those who teach the good, healthy, prosperous Christian life are lying because the majority of Christians do not and will not live the good, healthy, prosperous Christian life as taught since the twenty century.

The officer trusted because he had heard about YESHUA and he had asked Him face to face, then after his son’s recovery his whole household believed.

“When YESHUA had finished speaking to the people, He went back to K’far-Nachum. A Roman army officer there had a servant he regarded highly, who was sick to the point of death. Hearing about YESHUA, the officer sent some Jewish elders to Him with the request that He come and heal his servant. They came to YESHUA and pleaded earnestly with Him, ‘He really deserves to have You do this, for he loves our people – in fact, he built the Synagogue for us!’ So YESHUA went with them. He had not gone far from the house, when the officer sent friends who said to Him, ‘Sir, don’t trouble Yourself. I’m not worthy to have you come under my roof – this is why I didn’t presume to approach you myself. Instead, just give a command and let my servant recover. For I too am a man under authority, I have solders under me; and I say to this one, “GO!” and he goes, and to another, “Come!” and he comes; and to my slave, “Do this!” and he does it.’ YESHUA was astonished at him when He heard this; and He turned to the crowd that was following Him, ‘I tell you, not even in Isra’el have I found such trust!’ When the messengers got back to the officer’s house, they found the servant in good health.” Luke 7:1-10

Here we have a man who has heard about YESHUA but never seems Him personally, but he does understand the power of authority and command. So just on what he has heard he chooses to believe and therefore he receives. Now in fairness to today, this Roman had heard about YESHUA from people who have seen His authoritive power in person.

All that we have today is the Bible, The HOLY SPIRIT of GOD and the testimonies of other’s experiences. What!?

YESHUA is the Living Word and He has given us through His SPIRIT the written Word (the Bible) so that we can learn of Him! YESHUA gives every person who believes in Him and confesses Him His own SPIRIT (The HOLY SPIRIT) as a seal of our salvation; by filling our spirit, soul and body with His SPIRIT, making us living temples of the Living GOD in the earth! YESHUA gives us testimonies of those who have known Him in the past and the present to encourage and strengthen us in our obedience and trust in Him!

Believe me, I know there are no excuses for not trusting and obeying GOD; that is, doing His Will in the earth as it is in Heaven!