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THE KING’S BUSINESS
he had for faith was Jesus’ word, his son was miles away, the man could see no change that had taken place, but he had Jesus’ word and rested upon that. That was faith. He proved that he “ believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him” by doing as Jesus had bidden him. He asked for no.isgn. He no longer asked Jesus to “come down;” he counted it was all done just because Jesus said so. From Cana to Capernaum he walked by faith. Jesus often demands o f us to walk in the same way; He gives us His bare promise, noth ing else, and demands that we walk by that. That ,is enough, and happy is the man f who-counts it enough. The noble man’s faith proved to be well founded. Faith that rests upon the sure word of God always proves.,-to be well founded (Matt. 24:35). The boy’s improvement had begun at the moment Jesus had spoken the word. Sure the one who had such power was the Son o f God (cf. Ps. 33:9; 107:20). Saturday, May 6. John 5:1-5. It Vas an occasion o f great rejoicing that took Jesus up to'Jerusalem, but there was no joy in it for those pictured in these verses. There is not much real j oy in any feast without Christ in it. The coming o f Christ in this instance brought joy to at least one miserable man. Jesus went up to the feast because the Jewish law required that He should (Ex. 34:23; cf. Gal. 4:4 ). It was a wretched company that was gath ered around this pool, and this multitude o f them that were' “blind, halt, withered,” is a picture o f the multitudes o f this world. Men soon found out that the best place to bring their afflicted ones was to Jesus Him self (Matt. 15:30). Wretched men sought the-' pool, but Jesus sought the men. It seems as if the most miserable and hopeless case present was the one that Jesus spe cially noticed and helped. This man had been there often (v. 7), and his case seemed to be beyond all hope, but it was not beyond hope, because there is nothing too hard for the Lord (Gen. 18:14; Jer. 32:17). There are no hopeless cases with Him.
point o f death,” no human skill could reach him, but there is nothing too hard for the Lord. Often in our day does the Lord come in with His healing when all earthly ' physicians have failed. Man’s extremity is ever God’s opportunity. Not only extreme cases o f sickness can be taken to Him, but extreme cases o f sin as well (1 Tim. 1:15; Heb. 7:25). This man came to Jesus because there was no one else to whom he could go, no ,one else who could help. There was no haste on Jesus’ part in granting the nobleman’s request. The case was indeed urgent, but there was something more urgent than the healing of the nobleman’s boy, that was the develop ment o f the nobleman’s faith. He already had a faith that rested upon the sight o f signs and wonders. Jesus would lead him out into a faith that rested upon His naked W ord (cf. ch. 20:29; 1 John 5:10, 11; 2 Peter 1 :17-19). In what He says in verse 48 our Lord was seemingly contrast ing the Jews with the Samaritans who believed Him on simply hearing Him (vs. 29, 42), though they saw no miracles at all. The Samaritans regarded Him and sought Him as a Saviour; the nobleman regarded Him and' sought Him as a healer. There are many today who talk more of Jesus—and seemingly seek Him more—as a healer than as a Saviour, and they often seem to assume that theirs is a higher form o f faith than the faith o f those who seek Him as a Saviour. But surely any one who carefully and candidly reads the Gos pels must see that Jesus desired more to be sought as a Saviour than as a healer. Friday, May 5. John 4:50-54. At last Jesus said, “ Go thy way, thy son liveth.” % Never before had that nobleman heard such sweet music, and Jesus is ready to say the same thing to many today whose hearts are breaking over their sins, if they will only seek Him with the urgency that this nobleman sought Him. The man’s faith rose to the occasion, he “ believed the word that Jesus spake.” That word did not seem at all probable, the sole ground
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