The Official’s Son | John 4:42-54
Did you know that parenting is hazardous to your health? The US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued a public health advisory concerning the modern stresses on parent’s mental health. He states that in addition to traditional challenges of parenting, protecting kids, and finances, there are new stressors that previous generations didn’t have to consider. He said, “Guilt and shame have become pervasive, often leading them to hide their struggles, which perpetuates a vicious cycle where stress leads to guilt which leads to more stress.” A 2023 study by the American Psychological Association found that: 66% of parents say that they “feel consumed by my worries about money.” 62% said, “I feel like no one understands how stressed out I am.” 41% said, “Most days I am so stressed I can’t function.” A lot of parents are desperate for their kids and themselves: you’re only as happy as your unhappiest kid. Some of you have kids that are struggling with illness or addiction or bad decisions or estrangement. There is no pain like kid pain: You don’t have to be a parent to be desperate, but if you are a parent and your kid is hurting and you don’t know what to do, it’s a desperate situation. Who you turn to and trust in moments of desperation is what matters the most.
In John 4, we see a desperate dad whose son is dying; he has no one else to turn to but Jesus. Jesus helps the man by healing his son and growing his faith. John calls this another sign (miracle) of Jesus. A sign is not the point, a sign simply points you to something greater. The second sign tells us something about Jesus and what He came to do. The purpose of these signs is to believe in Jesus. It’s about faith. But what we see in the Gospels is that not everyone who saw a “sign” from Jesus, truly believed in Jesus. In John 4, there is a contrast between superficial and saving faith. Superficial faith is a faith that Jesus does not believe in. Saving faith is a faith that believes in Jesus.