Desperation & Obedience - The Official’s Son

00:00:00 Speaker 1: All things are possible to him who believes Mark nine twenty three. Heavenly Father, our hearts are stirred with a mix of awe and hope. This statement, so full of power and promise, invites us into a deeper trust in You, challenging us to look beyond the limitations of our human understanding and to embrace the boundless possibilities of faith. Lord, instill in us a faith that moves mountains, a belief so strong that it sees beyond the visible, Trusting in your sovereignty and goodness. Help us to remember that with you, the impossible becomes possible, and our dreams and prayers find fertile ground in your will. May our lives be a testament to the strength of faith in You, inspiring others to believe even the miraculous, and to trust in your unfailing love and power. Let our hearts always be aligned with yours, filled with the courage and conviction that in believing, we will see your glory revealed. Amen, Thank you for praying with me today. You're listening to the Jesus Podcast. Stories of faith, revival, and wonder. Remain here to hear a story of a parent willing to stop at nothing to see their child healed. If you want to support our mission of biblical storytelling, subscribe and leave a review. Doing so will help others find this podcast and hear the story of Jesus come to life. The fireplace raged with intense heat, but did very little to relieve the small boy under the covers, he shivered, tears streaming down his flushed cheeks. His cries echoed through the halls. Beside the bed was Costano, a Roman official of great authority and power. However, as he held his son's weak hand, he didn't feel like a man of authority. He had the power to direct legions and move chariots, but couldn't ease his poor son's pain. 00:02:27 Speaker 2: Father the boy whispered, yes, my son, what is it? 00:02:32 Speaker 1: Constano leaned in close and stroked his son's hair, but the boy didn't answer. It was another weak plea for help, for ease. If Constano's love could heal, then his son would never have been sick again. But he was helpless. He had the best physicians under Caesar's command to visit. They had healers from the temple as sleppy as burn incense and make sacrifices on his behalf nothing. Constano's wife wept in the corner, already mourning the loss of her son. It's hopeless, she whispered into her hands. 00:03:17 Speaker 3: We've tried everything. 00:03:19 Speaker 1: But Constano refused to weep, as though his son was already dead. He stood up kissed his son's head. 00:03:27 Speaker 2: We haven't tried everything. 00:03:29 Speaker 1: He said, with a determined voice. 00:03:31 Speaker 2: I've heard of a Jewish miracle worker. 00:03:33 Speaker 4: He has some local officials stirring because they can't explain some of his signs. 00:03:39 Speaker 3: You would entrust our son's life to a Jewish stranger. 00:03:43 Speaker 2: What other options do we have? If even half the rumors about this man are true, he can heal our son. I have to try. 00:03:51 Speaker 1: Constano called his servants. 00:03:53 Speaker 2: Dismiss pass Ready, my horse, I'm leaving tonight. 00:03:57 Speaker 3: Aren't you worried about disgracing yourself. You're unofficial of. 00:04:02 Speaker 2: Caesar, and what God has that title done me? 00:04:05 Speaker 1: The words cracked from his throat, etching against the walls like nails. 00:04:09 Speaker 2: Our son is dying and I can't do anything about it. 00:04:13 Speaker 4: I need a power greater than mine, greater than greater than Caesar's. 00:04:18 Speaker 1: The words sounded dirty coming out of his mouth, but he knew it to be true. Caesar had failed him, but perhaps the God this rabbi from Nazareth worshiped could help. Perhaps there was hope, even if just a sliver. 00:04:37 Speaker 3: Every person has or will go through a tragedy in life moments were all hope seems lost and were left with what only feels like desperation. But even in our loneliest moments, God is with us. In Psalm one thirty nine, David writes, this, where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there, your hand will guide me. Your right hand will hold me fast. When all feels hopeless. God is there to restore our souls as we depend on him, experience his goodness, and hold fast to his promises. This is the Jesus Podcast, Your Stories, showcasing the depth of Christ's love through cinematic storytelling and honest and deep reflection. I'm Zach your host from pray dot Com and it's been a joy to learn and worship alongside you. Follow this podcast as we continue learning about the miracles of the Messiah. Today's story takes us to John chapter four. In our first two episodes, Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding of Cana. Afterwards, he ventured to Jerusalem with his disciples to celebrate the Passover, as was customary for all Jewish men there. Instead of performing more miracles at Jesus clears the temple a stern reminder the God's house is a house of prayer, and we're going to get to that story in our next season. After the Holy Day, he decides to return to Galilee, his place of origin. We'll find him once again in Cana, but it isn't long before he has a visitor, a royal official with a personal request. Though this Roman official is a surprise to the disciples, it was an encounter. Jesus was waiting for the platform for his second miracle, another chance to display his power and plant seeds of faith in the hearts of men and women everywhere. 00:06:31 Speaker 1: The sun's harsh rays scorched the quiet city of Capernaum. Sweat dripped down the legs of craftsmen working in the sun. They had to squint in the sunlight just to sea around themselves. The sun beat down when the market stands and the foot traffic through town rumbled along the various tents and vendors, chaotic, with the sounds of bargaining and trade. Standing in it all. Looking somewhat lost and extremely desperate, stood Constano. Usually he would only walk these streets to monitor tax and trade, but to day he was not. To day, he pealed through the crowd, looking for something, some one. All he could think of was his teenage son, who had fallen ill. A day and a half down the road. His son was in bed, feverish, perhaps breathing his last breath. He had paid for the finest physicians and attendants. Nothing could break this fever. He had purchased the finest ointments and treatments for him. Still his son's fever only worsened to the point where his son's every breath became painful and strained. Nothing else could be done, nothing but perhaps a miracle. Constano's only religion was to the sword and to Caesar. But it was impossible for him to ignore the rumors of the healer from Nazareth, whispers of miracles had reached his house. They were merely rumors, but they sparked hope. They made the impossible possible. Possibilities are easy to rule out and to be destroyed, but hope is a hard thing to kill once it is born. It was this hope that sizzled in his chest and made him run through the crowd. Constano asked every vender, soldier, and merchant where he could find Jesus of Nazareth. Some had guesses as to where he might be next, but none knew where he could be found. 00:08:53 Speaker 2: He is he still alive? 00:08:56 Speaker 1: Constano whispered. The words dripped down his chin along with the sweat. 00:09:03 Speaker 2: Was this a fool's errants? I wasted the final moments with my son. 00:09:08 Speaker 1: He stood amid the bustling crowd and wept. He had journeyed here on that one last string of hope. The miracle worker was supposed to pass through town. The Roman officer lowered his head to his chest and shook his head bitterly at the desperate foolishness of all a miracle? How child to shove him? He was a man of Rome. How desperate was he to leave his son's side to pursue a random Jewish rabbi. He frowned at his feet, his worn, filthy sandals, in the dirt, the state of his desperation. Nothing else in his power would work. All his life, he had given orders to others, told them what they should do and where they should go. He was, after all, a Roman officer. That's how things worked. You controlled them, you demanded your will into existence. Constano could be on the other side of the country, and with a simple swipe of his pen he could command legions to move. But in the face of losing his son, he felt powerless. No accolades or acknowledgments from Caesar could save his son. His chest sank. Perhaps he should go home to be with his son during his death, not here alone in the street sweating among Jewish commoners. Constano was about to turn and leave the dusty path, but he stopped when he felt the ground shake. He sensed a commotion, a crowd. He craned his head up. A sea of people poured out of their homes and shops to surround a man walking in the market place. Constano inched closer, almost certain of who it was, before hearing someone call out Jesus. That was Constano's sign a divine call from the hope that burned within him. Constano, with legs forged in the fires of war, rushed through the crowd. His tough, near and authoritative voice made it effortless for him to pass as he. 00:11:37 Speaker 2: Yelled, Jesus, Jesus, I need to speak with you. 00:11:42 Speaker 1: The sea of people parted when they heard Constano. They had learned to cower any time a Roman raised his voice. 00:11:49 Speaker 2: Hello, how may I help you? 00:11:52 Speaker 1: Jesus replied with an impassive stare. Constano paused for a moment. Jess wasn't what he expected. He was sure a rabbi of such a reputation would be more imposing, but he stood a few inches shorter than Constano. Adorned in craftsman's robes and a content smile, Constano got straight to the point and. 00:12:21 Speaker 4: Said, Rabbi, I have heard rumors that you hear people. My son is sick eh and at the point of death. 00:12:32 Speaker 1: I The words were stuck in his throat. He bawled up his fists and strained through the pain. 00:12:40 Speaker 2: I need him to be well again. 00:12:42 Speaker 1: The crowd stared with bated breath. Constano was a Roman official. This break in decorum was humiliating, but who cares. 00:12:53 Speaker 2: He thought he. 00:12:54 Speaker 1: Had nothing more to lose. His son was his life. Jesus gave him a long, expectant look, as though he could see into the man his very heart. Constano was struck by the unexpected angst of it all. He had been looking for a miracle, but Jesus seemed to be looking for something else, something invisible. You people are always looking for signs and wonders. Unless you see them, you refuse to believe. Constano may have made it through with strength, but standing before Jesus, he felt all his defenses weaken. He pondered jesus accusation, his face lackened. Indeed, he did not actually believe in the Jewish God or the authority. Jesus claimed. He didn't know what to believe. All he had was hope, a shard of hope, the frack of a fraction of the tiniest hope. But he never dared to believe. Jesus and his followers started to turn away. Constano watched them turn and something inside him broke. It wasn't faith, necessarily, it was something more infantile. Constano knew that Jesus was his only chance, So with force, he desperately reached out, clasping his hand on to jesus shoulder. The crowd gasped. Sir Constano cried out with a cracked voice. His toughve near was melting away, and the visage of authority was long gone. All that remained was his childish desperation. 00:14:49 Speaker 2: Please come down before my boyd eyes. 00:14:53 Speaker 1: His cheeks burnt with new tears. Jesus did not shirk away. He placed his hand on the man's where it rested on his shoulder. Seeing his grief, sensing his heart, Constano was surprised at jesus grip. It was the grip of a stonemason, ardent and callous hands that had known work and toil. But jesus gaze revealed something else. He understood Costano. Although he was not a man of faith or of Jewish heritage, he had within him a spark of belief, a seed of heavenly understanding. Jesus was determined to see that seed grow. With a gentle voice, Jesus replied, go back home, your son will live. Jesus words registered with the soldier within him. Constano believed Jesus every word. He nodded once firmly, like a soldier receiving commands, and ran down the road. He mounted his horse and pursued the road home, riding over slopes and rocky hills, open plains, just for the confirmation of jesus promise that his son would live. He would live, live, live. Constano rode with fire, intent on the road, focused like a soldier. Commanding officers with greater authority often gave orders. This man, Jesus was his commanding officer, much higher than him in faith, much higher than him in authority and goodness and power. And he'd given the word his son would live, so it would be so. But on the road half way home, he saw familiar faces running toward him, two of his servants. His heart flipped over as he slid from his horse's back and ran to them. A brief moment of terror came upon him. Had they rode to give him the news of his son's death? Was it all for naught? Did he miss his son's final days? 00:17:16 Speaker 2: This wass Thesius? What news did you write all this way to give me? 00:17:21 Speaker 1: Both men bowed, then raised their heads, Smiles beamed from their faces. 00:17:26 Speaker 2: He's alive, my Lord, your son has lived. 00:17:29 Speaker 1: Constano clutched the knot in his chest and laughed at the ground, relieved, but somehow still not surprised. He raised his hands on his head and beamed. 00:17:43 Speaker 2: I guess I knew that already. 00:17:45 Speaker 1: He heaved, exhausted, laughing and grinning back at them. 00:17:49 Speaker 2: You knew how what hour did my son miraculously recover? Ah? About the seventh hour of yesterday? 00:17:58 Speaker 1: Constano smiled at the young boy and scooped him up in a bear hug. It was yet another break in decorum, but Constano couldn't help himself. 00:18:09 Speaker 4: The exact same hour, Jesus declared, it, So my son is healed. 00:18:16 Speaker 2: It's a miracle. It's a sign. It's a sign. 00:18:19 Speaker 1: That He paused and set his servant down. He looked back at the road leading to Capernaum. Constano was quiet for a long while, pondering and meditating on what had just happened. Jesus scolded his people for needing a sign to believe, but Costano's belief didn't begin with a sign. It began when he moved. It began when he obeyed. Jesus mounted his horse and returned, assured that his son would be well. The belief came before the sign. The official and his servant walked the final stretch home, and when they arrived, dinner was set and the plates were full, and his son sat at the table, sitting upright, with rosy, healthy cheeks and bright eyes, ready to eat. 00:19:16 Speaker 2: Father. 00:19:17 Speaker 1: The boy yelled by God's mercy. He ran right up to him and hugged him tight. 00:19:22 Speaker 2: Mother already made me the sweetbread. 00:19:24 Speaker 3: I like, I've already had four, but I insisted She saved the fifth one for you. 00:19:29 Speaker 1: Constano kissed his son's head and held him close to his chest. 00:19:33 Speaker 2: Oh, my son, he could barely. 00:19:37 Speaker 1: Speak over the tears, tightening his throat. 00:19:39 Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. 00:19:45 Speaker 1: His joyful refrains of gratitude were to his son for the last piece of sweet bread, but also to the God he knew was listening. That night, Constano ordered the servants to eat with them at the tab in honor of what God had done. The sun set and the white moon rose on the hills. They spoke for hours over candle light at the dinner table, as though sharing some great secret. Together. They ate while Constantino told them about the rabbi from Nazareth. The miracle worker Jesus. Every one believed this miracle, for how else would his son have lived and recovered so quickly at the exact hour. They believed because they had witnessed a sign. But Constano had something deeper than belief. He had faith, faith found at the cross roads of desperation and obedience, and experienced and lived faith because he was able to act on the words of Jesus. His son leaned into his father's chest and asked more questions about the miracle man. He hoped one day to meet the man called Jesus, who had not only the power of God, but perhaps the heart of God as well. 00:21:22 Speaker 3: Whether you believe in God or not, nobody can deny the brokenness of creation. Externally, we see the pain of sickness in the sting of death. Internally, we bear the weight of loneliness, depression, guilt, and heartache. The Bible tells us that this brokenness is a result of sin, brought into the world by Adam and Eve, and pervasive in all of our choices. 00:21:42 Speaker 1: Even to this day. 00:21:44 Speaker 3: You see sin as continued through every human who has ever walked the face of the earth, every human but one in one Corinthians fifteen, the apostle Paul calls Jesus the second Atom, the one man who could put an end to sin and restore the brokenness that haunts God's good creation. As Jesus embarks on his public ministry, we see glimpses of this restoration brought through his miracles. It's an upside down creation being put right side up as the messiah, Jesus came to fulfill God's promise of rescue. But this promise was it only for the Jews as many thought. This promise was meant for anyone who would believe in him. The hurt, the broken, the desperate, the jew and the gentile. God sent Jesus to save them all. This is what makes the story of the royal official so powerful. Here was a man who sat in great authority under Rome's rule. He had power, wealth, and security, but what he didn't have was invincibility to sin and all of the consequences in the wake of it. Just like everyone else, he too knew and felt the brokenness of creation, and he likely knew it even more so as he watched his son rise in pain from a fever that had all but killed him. No money or militaristic demand could change this reality that he was in. He was at them of nature, or so he thought. As Jesus's miracle at Cana, his teachings to crowds and Samaria, and his scene at the temple began to spread, the royal official found one last hope to save his son, this unknown rabbi from Galilee. We know from John chapter two that Jesus had made his home in Capernaum, the same city the royal official lived in. But as Jesus traveled back from Jerusalem, he stopped in Cana once again. These two cities lie about twenty miles from each other. It would have been easier for the official to wait for Jesus to come back to his home in Compernaum or send out servants to find Jesus in Cana, But desperate times call for desperate measures. When we're hurting, we can't delay going to Jesus personally. When we're feeling truly broken, it can feel debilitating, and maybe that feeling prevents us from going to God right away. We put aside our times of devotion. We find it hard to formulate words for prayer, and we pull back from others who want to direct our gaze towards God. And so maybe that waiting is hoping that we'll be better on our own, or maybe that time will heal the wounds that have been caused. Maybe it's waiting for all those things to somehow be easier to do. Maybe tomorrow it will be easier to pray. Maybe tomorrow it will be easier to dive into scripture. But we should understand that going to Jesus right away, right here and now, with our brokenness, is always the right call, no matter how hard it might seem to muster up the courage, or the strength or the fortitude to do so. Psal thirty four eighteen reads this, The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are cursed in spirit. That should bring us comfort to know that God is not far off in our pain. He is already near to us, waiting for us to cry out to him. And crying out to him isn't about just getting his attention. It's about reminding ourselves that he's already here. He's already with us, He already knows what we're going through, and before we even realize it, he is already working out a way to heal us. This was the case for the royal official. He didn't know Jesus, but Jesus certainly knew him. Jesus expected him. But the royal official had to break down the barriers that would prevent him from humbly calling out for Jesus's help. This was no small act for the official. He was going against every social expectation of him. He could have used his authority to demand Jesus to come to him right away, or sent out a servant or soldiers to seize him if he didn't obey. But brokenness brings out a different sign in us. Desperation brings us to our hands and knees. Any humiliation that would have been a factor before was left at the door. This was a personal request, and he was going to make it his own. I'll tell you this, as a father of three, there is no shame that I wouldn't endure for the sake of my children. If one of my children are hurt or in despair, there's no more pride for me to keep. I need to find help for them. No longer was this man a Roman coming to a Jew for help. He was an empty man, a father looking for hope, and healing from God. In allowing himself to be brought low. Jesus was ready to lift him up by performing his second recorded miracle in the Bible. But as we've mentioned, miracles were about building faith rather than coming back to the home of the royal official. Jesus sends the man on his way with nothing but the word that his son was going to live. And how is this Roman official supposed to trust Jesus well? As we see, without knowing if it was true, the official was left to travel back home and hope for the best. All he could do was obey, and we learned that his obedience wasn't in vain. Just as Jesus said, his son was made well. But it's interesting to note that as the official is discussing the son's miraculous healing with the servants, the timing of his healing is noted as the moment Jesus spoke this promise. It wasn't after the official obeyed. It can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that God only blesses us when we're obedient. But God doesn't just bless us four hours obedience. He blesses us through our obedience. The goodness of God in our lives cannot be earned. It is always undeserved and given as an act of grace. Even non believers experience the blessings of common graces, like breathing fresh air that sustains our lives, or knowing the delicacies of different flavors, and experiencing powerful emotional bonds like love and friendship. Don't believe that God only cares for you when you're at your best, but also note that He wants to lead you out of your worst moments through obedience, and the only way that we can work out of those moments is by obeying him when he tells us to move and act. Our obedience isn't a way to convince God to love us. It's a response to the love that Jesus already shows. And what we learn from this story is that his love has no boundaries and knows no prejudice. Here was an official of Rome, the enemy of God's people, but Jesus didn't turn him away. 00:27:55 Speaker 2: He couldn't. 00:27:56 Speaker 3: It's God's heart that none should perish. Jesus was tearing down dividing wall between people and God. Paul alludes to this when he writes Colossians three eleven. Here there are no gentiles or Jews, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian scythean slave are free. But Christ is all and is in all. When we come to Jesus, we don't do so as an American, a Scotsman, a Filipino, as a wealthy business owner or a struggling student. We come to Christ as broken people who are made whole and are united in Christ in His spirit. It doesn't matter how we have or haven't treated Christ in the past. What matters is how we respond to Him now. What matters is how we let his word penetrate our hearts. What matters now is our openness to yield our lives completely to him. The love of Jesus is available to anyone, and the depths of his love are unimaginable. Like the royal official, we should be desperate for the power of God in our lives. We should remove every barrier and obstacle that would prevent us from coming to him. We should be okay with admitting our brokeness, with hope that as God, Jesus can perform a miracle in our lives and give us everything we could possibly need. Thanks again for listening to the Jesus Podcast, We're going to keep trekking along and the Miracles of the Messiah showcasing Christ's love and power in perfect synergy. Make sure to follow this podcast so you don't miss any of it, and for more prayers and daily devotionals, visit prey dot com today