Đức tin thật sự không cần phải dựa trên các dấu lạ. Chúa Giêsu không cần đến nhà viên quan chức để chạm vào đứa con của ông ta để cứu chữa nó, Nhưng nhờ vào niềm tin vững mạnh của người cha đã tin vào lời Chúa Giêsu đã cứu con ông ta. "Bạn hãy về đi, con bạn sẽ sống!" (Jn 4:50).
Đã có bao nhiêu người trong chúng ta đã có một hành động đức tin vững chãi như người cha này, biết đặt hết niềm tin vào lời Chúa Giêsu? Chúng ta hãy cầu nguyện, xin Chúa cho chúng ta có được lòng tin như viên chứa kia và biết kiên nhẫn hơn trong việc cầu nguyện. Nhưng chúng ta cũng phải biết ơn Thiên Chúa vì Ngài luôn kiên nhẫn với chúng ta. Chúng ta đâu cần phải thấycó những bằng chứng nào khác nơi Thiên Chúa để chúng ta mới có thể thực sự tin tưởng vào ân sủng và sự cứu độ của Ngài.VÌ chính Ngài là phép lạ ể chúng ta Tin.
Xin Chúa ban cho đức tin của chúng ta được tiếp tục phát triển trong sự trưởng thành và sự hiểu biết cặn kẽ và sâu sắc hơn về kế hoạch của Thiên Chúa. Thiên Chúa là Thiên Chúa. Ngài thực sự không cần phải chứng minh bất cứ điều gì cho chúng ta. Nhưng chúng ta cần phải có và giữ vững niềm tin.
Jesus said, "Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe!"
This brings to mind a story about an atheist professor forcing his unbelief on his students by saying: "I do not believe in God, and to prove to you that there is no God, I challenge God to strike me down this very moment. . . ." As he was speaking, a big burly young man in a college football t-shirt came down and punched him in the jaw sending the poor professor to the floor. The stunned professor asked the big student why he punched him. The young man replied: "God told me to do it. . . ."
Some people want to prove their unbelief by seeking wondrous signs that they know will not happen. Others like us believe enough to ask for small signs from God to help us with our decisions. Sometimes God grants us special signs like white roses and stuff, but most of the time his signs are so subtle that it takes a well practiced personal relationship with Jesus and a regular prayer/quiet-time to recognize his whispered signs.
Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” John 4:46–48
Jesus did end up healing the royal official’s son. And when the royal official returned to discover his son healed, we are told that “he and his whole household came to believe.” Some came to believe in Jesus only after He performed miracles. There are two lessons we should take from this.
First of all, the fact that Jesus performed miracles is a testimony to Who He is. He is a God of abundant mercy. As God, Jesus could have expected faith from those to whom He ministered without offering them the “proof” of signs and wonders. This is because true faith is not based upon external evidence, such as seeing miracles; rather, authentic faith is based upon an interior revelation from God by which He communicates His very self to us and we believe. Therefore, the fact that Jesus did signs and wonders shows just how merciful He is. He offered these miracles not because anyone deserved them, but simply because of His abundant generosity to help spark faith in the lives of those who found it hard to believe through the interior gift of faith alone.
With that said, it’s important to understand that we should work to develop our faith without relying upon external signs. Imagine, for example, if Jesus would have never performed any miracles. How many would have come to believe in Him? Perhaps very few. But there would have been some who came to believe, and those who did would have had a faith that was exceptionally deep and authentic. Imagine, for example, if this royal official did not receive a miracle for his son but, nonetheless, chose to believe in Jesus anyway through the transforming interior gift of faith.
In each one of our lives, it is essential that we work to develop our faith, even if God doesn’t seem to act in powerful and evident ways. In fact, the deepest form of faith is born in our lives when we choose to love God and serve Him, even when things are very difficult. Faith in the midst of difficulty is a sign of very authentic faith.
Reflect, today, upon the depth of your own faith. When life is hard, do you love God and serve Him anyway? Even if He doesn’t remove the crosses you carry? Seek to have true faith at all times and in every circumstance and you will be amazed at how real and sustaining your faith becomes.
My merciful Jesus, Your love for us is beyond what we will ever fathom. Your generosity is truly great. Help me to believe in You and to embrace Your holy will both in good times and in difficult ones. Help me, especially, to be open to the gift of faith, even when Your presence and action in my life seems silent. May those moments, dear Lord, be moments of true interior transformation and grace. Jesus, I trust in You.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Purpose of Signs in John’s Gospel: The weekday Gospels during the first three weeks of Lent concentrated on the Lenten practices of prayer, almsgiving, and fasting, the need for conversion and repentance, and the gift of divine mercy. During the next two weeks, we will hear Gospel passages from the first part of the Gospel according to John. The miracle in today’s Gospel is called by John “the second sign.” John says that the signs in his Gospel were written so that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that in believing we may have life in Jesus’ name (see John 20:31). Jesus himself affirms today that signs can lead the people to belief: “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” John records seven signs in his Gospel for us. The first part of John’s Gospel (chapters 1-11) contains six signs: the first sign is the changing of water into wine at the wedding at Cana (2:11); the second sign is the healing of the royal official’s son (4:54); the third sign is the healing of the paralytic on the Sabbath; the fourth sign is the multiplication of the loaves (6:14); the fifth sign is the restoration of sight to the blind man on the Sabbath (yesterday’s Gospel: ); the sixth sign is the raising of Lazarus (11:38-45). The seventh and ultimate sign is found in the second half of John’s Gospel and is Jesus’ Resurrection.
2. The Sacraments as Greater Works: Signs are good, but they point to something else, to something greater. In John 14:12, Jesus says: “He who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.” The greater works that we will be empowered to do are the Sacraments of the Church. What is greater than changing water into wine? Changing wine into the Blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. What is greater than restoring someone to physical health? Restoring someone to spiritual health in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. What is greater than healing a paralytic? Being strengthened by the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation and the Sacrament of Anointing. What is greater than multiplying loaves of bread and feeding the crowds? Changing bread into the Body of Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist and entering into communion with Jesus. What is greater than giving sight to the physically blind? Giving sight to the spiritually blind in the Sacrament of Baptism. What is greater than restoring someone to earthly life? Being raised by Jesus to eternal life and sharing in Jesus’ Resurrection.
3. Eternal Life: The theme of eternal life is found in today’s First Reading, which is taken from the Book of Isaiah. In it, God says that he is about to create new heavens and a new earth. The earth that we know is passing away. The suffering, the weeping and tears, the pain of this life will be replaced by rejoicing and happiness in the new and heavenly Jerusalem. In us, God himself will be eternally glorified. God will rejoice in Jerusalem – the New Jerusalem – and exult in his people.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you gave your Church the wondrous gifts of the Sacraments. These are the greater works that your disciples throughout the centuries would accomplish. Help me to experience the power of your Sacraments and partake of the Sacrament of the Eucharist often and the Sacrament of Reconciliation as needed.
Living the Word of God: Do I truly believe in the power of Christ’s sacraments? How do I prepare for the great Sacrament of the Eucharist? Am I in need of the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
Christ Wants to Heal: Our Lord wants to heal us of anything that is an obstacle to our holiness. He also wants us to show him how much we really desire to be healed. What did the royal official have to sacrifice for the healing of his child to occur? He had to leave his son's bedside and travel from Capernaum to Cana, some twenty miles. He had to overcome Christ’s initial challenge, “Unless you people see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The royal official humbled himself before a carpenter and presented his need in front of the many strangers who followed Christ. When Jesus saw his faith, he cured the son. Our Lord rewards perseverance and faith.
Qua bài Tim Mừng hôm nay chúng ta thấy Viên quan chức của hoàng gia tìm đến với Chúa Giêsu để xin Ngài cứu chữa đưá con trai sắp chết của mình. Ông nhún nhặn, khiêm hạ trước Chúa Giêsu, Mặc dù Chúa đã thứ thách ông ta với những câu hỏi như những sự chỉ trích của người Do thái là ông ta đi tìm kiếm niến tin qua những dấu lạ và những kỳ diệu mà Chúa đã thữc hiện/, Nhưng viên quan chức hoàng gia vẫn một mực khiên tốn, kiên quyết đến xin Chúa Giêsu với một tin tưởng trong sự khiêm nhu. "ông hãy về đi, con ông sẽ sống". Không lời chấn vấn, không một sự nghi ngờ, Nghe lời Chúa ông ta ra về với niềm tin hoàn toàn phó thác nơi Chúa và với đức tin đó dủ chỉ một lời nói suông thôi mà ông đã vui mừng khi nhìn thấy người con của ông đã được cứu sống.
Lạy Chúa, xin giúp chúng con củng cố đức tin của chúng con trong Ngôi Lời của Thiên Chúa.
Today, we pray to our heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ expecting our wishes can be fulfilled. It is perhaps this expectation that we lack the humbleness and determination, as seen from the royal official, of letting go our own ego before Jesus. The childlike and stout-hearted faith in the Lord is something we must learn from him. We should pray to accept and follow whatsoever is conferred on us by the Lord.
Lent reminds us to repent, and to stay away from sinning in order to receive the glorification of the risen Christ. In our everyday prayer we should not ask for that which we already possess; let us ask for a heart full of strength, of understanding and of fear of the Lord, so that we may become the children of God who delight him in the new Jerusalem (Is 65:18).
Lord, help me to strengthen my faith in the Word.
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