Based on John 4:46-54 (New King James Version)
“So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.’ The nobleman said to Him, ‘Sir, come down before my child dies!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your son lives.’ So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, ‘Your son lives!’ Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, ‘Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.’ So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, ‘Your son lives.’ And he himself believed, and his whole household. This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.”
This is a passage that seems very simple, but there is incredible depth in it, and things that are necessary to understand for one's well-being. The first issue we can observe has to do with this man's expectation, and also with the expectation of people in general regarding God, and with the idea that God "must," so to speak, do something for us. I understand that this nobleman begged the Lord to come down and heal his son, that is, he didn't demand it, but the question nonetheless is: “What obligation did the Lord have to do something for him?” Let's turn this into a general question: “Does God owe us something?” Who is God, us or Him? And if He is God, does He have to do something for us just because we ask Him? Where does this concept of seeing and treating the God of the universe as a servant come from? Go to the president of your nation, or the owner of a large company, who doesn't even know who you are, and ask for something out of the blue. Will he give it to you? I don't think so. At the very least, he wouldn't feel any kind of obligation. So, does the God who created the heavens and the earth, who governs all things visible and invisible, have any kind of obligation to someone who is less than nothing as compared to all of existence? Absolutely not. So, neither this man had any right to ask for anything, no matter how he asked, nor do we. The point is not whether or not we can ask God for something, but rather, to realize the fact that God is God, and that He owes us nothing.
The second point is that the Lord Jesus Christ knew of man's great unbelief and hardness of heart, so this was the reason He performed signs and wonders, things that stood out from the ordinary (which is a point that will be discussed later). Despite His human form which He took to fulfill the purpose of salvation, He was (and is) God. And as God, He shouldn't have needed to perform signs and wonders, because man should have been able to sense who He was, if their heart wasn't so hard. For example, the demons themselves sensed when He was approaching. Many times, simply by seeing Him appear, they themselves proclaimed who He was. This is what the Word says: “Even the demons believe—and tremble!” James 2:19b. A person might say: “The demons believed and perceived Him because they are spiritual beings.” But the answer to that is that man also has an invisible, spiritual side, which also has the capacity to perceive God, despite their sin. The death of the soul in sin does not mean that it cannot sense anything divine, but rather that the death in which it finds itself through man's sin is the separation from God. This is what the Bible means when it says that the soul of a human being is dead in sin. So, all human souls have the capacity to sense God. Let’s see this example: “Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, ‘Let no fruit grow on you ever again.’ Immediately the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, ‘How did the fig tree wither away so soon?’” Matthew 21:18-20. Was God unfair to the fig tree? No, because it was a living being that should have given God what He wanted. God appeared before the fig tree, and it should have had fruit for the Lord of the universe when He passed by it. As a living being, even as a tree, absolutely everything owes acknowledgement and obedience to God. This is also what the Word says about people who have been exposed to God and His truth: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:1-2. In this passage, we can understand that every human being who has received the Truth of God must bear fruit so that they will not be removed by God the Father. This is one of the many Scriptures that show us that there is a great responsibility when a person hears the Word.
Another point we can see is the matter of how much we depend on God, and this speaks to the issue of taking things as common, or for granted. This is what the Word says: “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: ‘Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. ‘Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? ‘Or who shut in the sea with doors, when it burst forth and issued from the womb; when I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band; when I fixed My limit for it, and set bars and doors; when I said, ‘This far you may come, but no farther, and here your proud waves must stop!’ ‘Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place, That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it?’” Job 38:1-13. “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:16-17. Everything we take as common or even for granted—down to the breathing of our lungs and the beating of our hearts, and the entire world and universe and its functions—absolutely everything depends on and exists through the person of God through Jesus Christ. And consider this too: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20. So, we must understand how much God does for us, and how much we owe Him, and that no one has an excuse before Him. And as if that weren't enough, He even gave His only begotten Son so that through Him we could have the opportunity to obtain eternal life. If we understand this, how can we possibly think He owes us anything more? And in understanding all this, we must come to understand how hard the human heart is, but also the infinite mercy of God, who instead of making us disappear in an instant as we deserve and sending us to hell, He demonstrates His love and gives us an opportunity for repentance. The love and patience of the Lord is difficult to understand, but we must cling on to them while they are available. So, do you live in a way that shows appreciation for all that you owe God? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!