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THE KING’S BUSINESS
V. 51. “And as he was now going down his servants (rather, slaves) met him, saying, Thy son liveth (rather, that his boy lived.)” As Jesus had said “ Thy son liveth” at seven o’clock in the evening (cf. vs. 52, 53) and the man had started at once (v. 50), he must have travelled all night. In the mean time as the son had recovered, the servants had started at once to meet their master with the glad assurance that the boy was alive. The son is described in this brief pas sage by three different words; first, the word meaning “ son” (v. 47) ; 'second, the word meaning “ little boy” used by the father in his pathetic plea for the Lord to come at once (v. 49), and third, the word meaning, “ boy” used by the servants in verse 51. The cir cumstances under which each was used were significant and this all marks the minute verbal accuracy of John’s ac count. The Bible is accurate down to the smallest word or part of a word. (The words used in v. 49 and v. 51 differ from one another only in the closing letters.) Jesus had said “ Thy son liveth,” the servants said “ that his boy lived.” Everything had turned, out just as Jesus said it would and everything will turn out every time just as Jesus says it will (cf. Acts 27 :25; Joshua 23 :14). V. 52. Then ( rather, So) he in quired of them the hour when ( rather, in which) he began to amend. And (rather, So) they said unto (rather, to) him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” The words translated “ began to amend” are peculiar and striking. It is difficult to translate them literally. As near as we can put it, it would be, “He had more elegantly (or finely, or nicely),” much as we say one is “ do ing nicely,” or as the Germans say, “ He finds himself pretty” or “ It goes
prettily with him.” It is evident that the cure was immediate and sudden. He did not merely “begin to amend” but “ the fever left him,” departed from him altogether, forsook him utterly. The change was so sudden and marked that the household knew the very hour when it occurred. The father indi cates by the form o f his question that he had not expected so sudden and complete a cure. V. 53. “ So the father knew that it was at the same hour (rather, at that hour) in the (omit, the) which Jesus said unto (rather, to) him, Thy son liveth; and himself believed and his whole house.” The fever had completely left the boy at the very moment Jesus had spoken the word, “He spake and it was done.” “ He sent His Word and healed him” (cf. Ps. 33:9; 107:20). Surely, the one who had such power was the Son of God. And no wonder it is written that the king’s officer “ himself believed and his whole house.” How could he do otherwise if he were an honest man and how can any honest man read what is recorded here, and in various chapters of John, without being convinced that the stories related are true and that the chief actor in them Jesus, “ is the Christ, the Son of God.” The growth of this courtier’s faith is an interesting and suggestive study: in verse 47 we see him believing in Jesus’ power to the extent that he thought it likely that if Jesus would come down He might be able to heal his son; in verse 50 we see him believ ing in Jesus’ Word; and in verse 53 we see him believing in Jesus Himself. The belief in verse 50 is simply belief in a specific promise; the believe in verse 53 is belief in a Person. It was substantially belief in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God (see ch. 20: 31) though it is doubtful if the courtier
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