THE KING’S BUSINESS
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and “ work.” Probably the reason why John- does not use this expression “ signs and wonders” more frequently is because the latter word sets forth the miracle on its phÿsicial side and John was not greatly concerned about this side—his Gospel looks at things rather from the standpoint of their in terior meaning than of their outward aspect. V. 49. “ The nobleman (rather, king’s officer or courtier ) saith unto him, Sir (rather, Lord ) come down ere my child (rather, little boy) die.” The king’s officer did not stop to discuss the question of the character of his faith. He knew it was very imperfect, but his main concern now was the healing of his boy, he could brook no delay. The child might die before JesUs reached the house. He at least had enough faith to think that the Lord Jesus might have power to heal his boy ; he really believed He had, he knew that no one else could and with all the earnestness o f a father’s love, he cries to Jesus to come at once. His cry reminds one of that of the father of the demoniac boy in Mark 9 :24. There, as here, the father was not at all sure that Jesus could help (see Mark 9:22), .but he had some faith and used what faith he had to the uttermost. There is something inde scribably touching in the conduct of this man and it moved Jesus as such conduct always did. V. 50. Jesus sâith unto (rather; to) him, Go thy way (omit thy way) ; thy son livèth. And' '.(omit and) the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken (rather, spoke) unto (rather, to) him, and he went his way (omit, his way). There had been no haste on Jesus' part in granting the king’s officer’s re quest. The case was indeed urgent but there was something more urgent
“ Ye will iji no wise believe” and it was pre-eminently the Jews who asked for signs (1 Cor. 1:22), and our Lord is apparently comparing in His thought the faith of this man with that of the Samaritans, who asked no sign but be lieved simply because they heard His word (vs. 39-42). The phrase “ ye will not believe” is. more accurately rendered in the R. V. “ Ye will in no wise believe” and sets forth not merely a simple fact of their not believing but points to the state of mind or heart ly ing back of the fact, a settled unwill ingness to believe except on the condi tions which they themselves impose, viz., that Jesus should perform some wonder that would be a sign of His Divine mission and power. But through this interview, taken in con nection with the events that follow, this man was to be brought out of this low order of faith in our Lord. In coming to oUr Lord, he thought that it was his dying child who was in need of a physician, but before he gets through, he finds that he himself is in need of a physician, a physician for his soul; and in coming to Jesus as the physician his son needed, he finds the only physician who could meet and supply the needs o f his own case. Our Lord in this verse describes mi racles by two words “ signs” and “won ders.” The word “ signs” describes the miracle from one point of view, the spiritual aspect. A miracle is a “ sign” of a deeper fact or .truth, the outward sign meeting the eye and pointing to the deeper fact which it proves, the Di vine mission and Deity of our Lord. The word “wonders” describes mira cles from another point of view, that of the strangeness or marvelousness of the things wrought. This phrase “ signs and wonders” ' occurs nowhere else in the Gospel of John, though it is frequently found elsewhere in the New Testament. The two characteristic words for miracles in John are “ sign”
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