Not Taking No for an Answer

Not Taking No for an Answer Comparative commentary by Rodolfo Galvan Estrada III Cite Share Show Bible Passage In John’s Gospel, Jesus is always on the move. From one city or town to another, his teachings and miracles captivate people, and interest in him grows. After Jesus’s visit to Samaria (4:4–42), he arrives in Galilee where he is greeted with enthusiasm on account of his miracle-working abilities (v.45). Miracles in John’s Gospel are labelled as ‘signs’ (sēmeia) which D. A. Carson describes as ‘significant displays of power that point beyond themselves to the deeper realities that could be perceived with the eyes of faith’ (Carson 1991: 175). Some in Galilee had witnessed Jesus’s miracles in Jerusalem during the Passover festival (2:23). Jesus had gained some newfound fame. Everyone seemed to know that he was able to perform miracles. He may have been uncomfortable with this attention, and his return to Galilee from Judaea (4:46) perhaps indicates a desire to avoid the spotlight. Yet, as he returns to Cana, his fame follows him, and his healing powers are sought. What would it have looked like to see Jesus, a miracle-worker, passing through a city or town? Would people try to stop him and ask for help? Would they stand in the distance and simply marvel at his presence and extraordinary abilities? Rodolpho Amoêdo’s portrait of Jesus walking through a crowded street in Capernaum provides a possible vivid scenario. Amoêdo enables us to imagine both the response and interest that the public had in Jesus. The halo around Jesus’s head and his white robes distinguish Jesus from all others; they are like outwards manifestations of his power. As Jesus walked through Capernaum, he would possibly have passed by those who were suffering, in need of a miracle, or who had a request on behalf of others. There was something different about Jesus—but would anyone dare to ask? Somehow and in some way, a royal official from Capernaum hears about Jesus and his ability to do extraordinary miracles. This royal official was probably associated with Herod’s court (Morris 1995: 256). Although he had missed Jesus or was too uncomfortable to ask for help when Jesus was in Capernaum on an earlier occasion (John 2:12), his son was now on the verge of dying and there was nothing that he could do but find Jesus wherever he might be. When he finds Jesus in Cana, he begs him to return with him to Capernaum and heal his son (v.47). Jesus, however, does not want to leave, and retorts, ‘unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe’ (v.48). The royal official does not take this response as a definitive ‘no’. And again, he begs Jesus to come back with him before his son dies. Then Jesus states, ‘Go, your son will live’ (v.50). Anton Wierix’s engraving captures the encounter and dialogue between Jesus and the royal official. His depiction showcases the authority and power of the official, a man surrounded by many servants and their horses. This entourage visually communicates the official’s privileged status. However, the need for a miracle brings any person of high status to humility. The engraving draws out this contrast. Despite the royal official's impressive number of servants dressed in fine clothing, Jesus stands taller, though surrounded by his simply dressed disciples. Overall, it is Jesus who has authority over life and death and pronounces that the official’s son will live. And so, the official believes in Jesus’s words and departs with his servants. After about a day’s journey, other servants meet him and provide news that his son has recovered (vv.51–52). Following this announcement, John’s Gospel no longer calls the man a ‘royal official’. Instead, he is a ‘father’ who has realized that it is Jesus who has healed his son (v.53). It is in the unknown Mughal artist's illustration of this scene that the father’s relief and affection for his son is displayed. Perhaps the father had not yet told anyone about his dialogue with Jesus but wanted to see for himself that his son was indeed alive. The artist presents the father, kneeling near his son, holding a book, and possibly ready to retell his encounter with Jesus and his role in providing this miracle. By the end of the story in John’s Gospel, the father reaffirms his belief in Jesus, but we also see that his faith has grown. There is a progression from initially believing in Jesus’s words (v.50), to believing again as a result of seeing the miraculous recovery of his son (v.53). This ‘sign’ not only brought life to his son, but it also led the father and his entire household to faith (v.53). As Leon Morris remarks, ‘[t]he “sign” transformed his faith into a greater faith’ (Morris 1995: 259). References Carson, D. A. 1991. The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans) Morris, Leon. 1995. The Gospel according to John, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans)