Signs and wonders

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The Creed

Kyiv Chamber Choir

Today is Monday the 16th of March, in the fourth week of Lent.

The Kyiv Chamber Choir sing the Creed: “I believe in one God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.” As you start this prayer today, can you join in with this strong, almost exuberant expression of faith? Can you begin by declaring your faith in God, your creator, your heavenly Father?

3:20

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John.

John 4:43-54

When the two days were over, [Jesus] went from that place to Galilee (for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honour in the prophet’s own country). When 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.

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. When 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. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.’ The official said to him, ‘Sir, come down before my little boy dies.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your son will live.’ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. So 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.’ The 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. Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.

5:48

So much of this short scene is about belief; or better, the relationship between signs, desperation and belief. Perhaps this is an invitation to ponder the heart of your own belief today...

We meet the belief of the Galileans who welcomed him...This is also the place he turned water into wine, after all! They have seen the works of Jesus. And they believe... Have there been works of the Lord you have seen that helped you believe?

We meet the belief of the royal official, who begs Jesus to come and heal his son at the point of death. Imagine this man’s desperation... Recall a time you approached Jesus with desperation...How might this moment speak of your belief?

We meet Jesus’ response: ‘Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.’ We hear one more plea from the royal official before Jesus says, “‘Go; your son will live.”.

As you listen to the passage again, notice at which point in the passage the royal official believes...

9:02

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. When 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. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.’ The official said to him, ‘Sir, come down before my little boy dies.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your son will live.’ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. So 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.’ The 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. Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.

10:47

And finally, we meet the belief of the royal official and his whole household. As you reflect over this scene, the different moments of desperation.... the signs and wonders...the belief... speak with Jesus about all you have encountered today and what is staying with you...

12:42

You have given all to me

To you, Lord, I return it

Everything is Yours

Do with it what You will

Give me only Your love and Your grace

That is enough for me

Amen