Genesis 1:1-2:3; Ephesians 6:10-17; St John 4:46-54
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
So He came again to Cana in Galilee, where He had made the water wine. St John the Evangelist references the first sign of our Lord Christ, His presence at a wedding in Cana where He turned water from six stone water jars used for the Jewish rites of purification into the choicest of wines.
Thus did He bless this marriage and all marriages with His presence and by His Word. So do we continue to pray for our dear brother and sister in Christ, Zach and Julia, who were joined in holy matrimony only yesterday. May God bestow on them the blessing which He gave to Adam and Eve in paradise, secure them in faithfulness to their vows that they may grow in faith toward Him and love toward one another.
Now a noblemen from Capernaum, Jesus’ adult stomping grounds, remember, heard that Jesus was in the vicinity and because his son was desperately ill decides to make the 17 mile trip up hill to Cana.
Of itself this is an act of faith. For faith runs to where Jesus is. Where He is present, for you. This father left the bedside of his dying child to seek and find our Lord Christ that He might come and heal the boy. He had heard of the water turned to wine, of the miracles that Jesus did. The stories circulated and certainly went around in Jesus’ hometown. So he risks it, leaves the boy’s side, and goes.
But that water turned to wine is all gone. It was drunk up, there is none left. Yet the Word of the Lord endures forever.
You see, the nobleman implores Jesus to return with him to heal his son. Come down and heal him. He wants another miracle. “Take this show on the road, Jesus, and come do in Capernaum what you did in Cana.” As St Luke records our Lord’s words in Nazareth, Doubtless you will quote to Me this proverb, “‘Physician, heal yourself.” What we heard you did at Capernaum, do here in Your hometown as well” (Lk 4:23).
But He doesn’t go. Instead Jesus rebukes the man and the whole crowd: Unless you people see signs and wonders you will not believe. The official - really he’s a nobleman, a “little king,” probably a Jew who worked in the employ of Herod - has faith, to be sure, but it is an immature faith. Twice he pleads for Jesus to come to the house and heal the boy. He wants the miracle, not the Word. “Just come to this quick thing, Jesus, and then we can talk. I don’t need your doctrine right now, this is an emergency.”
So much wickedness happens in the Church and amongst Christians with this same type of thinking. We turn the good into a god. We try to make rules from the exceptions. The nobleman loved his son. He was a good father. But he tried to hold up those against the Word of Christ. He had made an idol out of his son’s life. This was the only thing that mattered. We are tempted to believe that there are more important things in this world than the truth of God’s Word. He wanted Jesus and the healing of his son, or he wouldn’t believe. Jesus and relief from pain. Jesus and a happy life. Jesus and . . .
This is where the demons creep in, dear Christians. Trying to get you to expect and demand of God, His Word and something else as proof that He is real; that He loves you, that He will not abandon you. St Paul writes to the Christians in Ephesus, Finally, be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand agains the schemes of the devil. We get so caught up in the imagery and romance of the analogy - in the utility belt, in the glimmering breastplate, in the spiffy shoes, the shield and helmet and sword - that we loose sight of the actual gifts that God gives. Truth. Righteousness. The Gospel. Faith. Salvation. The Word of God.
Your struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the false teaching of Jesus and. Its against the creeping doubt that because you suffer and your loved ones suffer and die, even though you pray fervently for their health and recovery, that Jesus doesn’t care or that He doesn’t love you. That He won’t go with you to your Capernaum. Your struggle is against an immature faith that thinks you need something more than Jesus. Something more than His Word. More than His sure and certain promise of forgiveness and the hope of the resurrection.
As an aside, this is really no different than the struggle between creationism as described in Genesis 1 and 2 and the theory of evolution. Some outright reject God’s Word entirely and say its a lie. Creationism is a myth and fable. Others, though, are like this nobleman. They propose a Theistic Evolution. The Word isn’t enough. Its Jesus and science. They’ll take part of Jesus’ Word, like the nobleman; they’ll keep His signs and wonders, but try to muscle in some other ideas and theories.
And so Jesus rebukes us once as He did this man. He preaches His Law. For He desires our faith to rest upon His Word alone. To cling to it against all other experiences and feelings and worldly thoughts. To stand firm as St Paul says so many times. Stand against the schemes of the devil. Withstand the evil day. Stand firm. Stand therefore.
But the nobleman asks again, Sir, come down before my child dies. And Jesus doesn’t rebuke him again, but patiently bears with his weak faith. He gives His Word which will strengthen such faith. And He tells the man, Go; your son lives. Not will live, future tense. But lives. Present tense. So the nobleman and father doesn’t know if his little boy will be alive when he gets home. But now, with this Word from Christ, he knows his son lives.
This is the meaning of those words spoken by our Lord at the grave of His friend Lazarus. Those words spoken over the body of our sister in Christ, Donna, this past Thursday: I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die (Jn 11:25-26).
And now, at the Word of Jesus, the nobleman goes. Seventeen miles back home to Capernaum, he goes. When he left he saw his dying child. He saw his son’s pallid face. He saw pale lips, closed eyes, and a distraught mother. But now, on his way home, he has the Word of Christ in his ears and in his hand. Your son lives. He runs home with this Word strengthening and sustaining faith which says, “Forget what me eyes see. Curse to the depths what my sense perceive. I have something better. I have the Word of Jesus and that is sufficient.”
This is how Luther said it in a sermon on this text:
“In the first place, I have often said that faith through the Gospel fully brings the Lord Jesus with all his riches home to every man; and that one Christian has just as much [of the Lord and His riches] as another, and the child baptized today has not less than St. Peter and all the saints in heaven. We are all equal and alike in reference to faith [with regard to heavenly treasures], and one person has his treasure just as full and complete as another.
Our Gospel lesson speaks further of the increase of faith, and here there is a difference. Although faith fully possesses Christ and all his riches, yet it must nevertheless be continually kept in motion and exercised, so that it may have assurance, and firmly retain its treasures. There is a difference between having a thing and firmly keeping hold of it, between a strong and a weak faith. Such a great treasure should be firmly seized and well guarded, so that it may not be easily lost or taken from us. I may have it indeed in its entirety, although I hold it only in a paper sack, but it is not so well preserved as if I had it locked in an iron chest.
Therefore we must so live on the earth, not that we think of something different that is better to acquire than what we already possess; but that we strive to lay hold of the treasure more and more firmly and securely from day to day. We have no reason to seek anything more than faith; but here we must see to it how faith may grow and become stronger. Thus we read in the Gospel, that, although the disciples of Christ without doubt believed (for otherwise they had not followed him), yet he often rebuked them on account of their weak faith. They had indeed faith, but when it was put to the test, they let it sink and did not support it.
So it is with all Christians; where faith is not continually kept in motion and exercised, it weakens and decreases, so that it must indeed vanish; and yet we do not see nor feel this weakness ourselves, except in times of need and temptation, when unbelief rages too strongly; and yet for that very reason faith must have temptations in which it may battle and grow. . . .
Therefore you should not imagine it is enough if you have commenced to believe; but you must diligently watch that your faith continue firm, or it will vanish; you are to see how you may retain this treasure you have embraced; for Satan concentrates all his skill and strength on how to tear it out of your heart. Therefore growth of your faith is truly as necessary as its beginning, and indeed more so; but all is the work of God. The young milk-faith is sweet and weak; but when long marches are required and faith is attacked, then God must strengthen it, or it will not hold the field of battle. . . .”
And where does faith continue firm? How does God perform this work in you? We all know the Small Catechism Explanation of the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him . . .” Notice that its in the present tense. Like the life of the nobleman’s son. It is not, “I believe that I could not believe.” But I cannot believe. God the Holy Spirit began saving faith in you through the hearing of the Word. He sustains and strengthens your faith through the self-same Word.
It may appear to be a small and insignificant thing, this Word. But it created the cosmos in the beginning. It caused all things, even matter itself, to come into existence from nothing. This Word was revealed to the prophets of old. And then, in the fullness of time, the Word became flesh. The Word allowed His strength to be beaten out of Him. The Word stood helpless before His accusers. The Word was too weak to carry His Cross. This Word is foolishness and folly to those who are perishing. But to us who believe, by God’s grace and Spirit, this Word is wisdom and righteousness and salvation.
Beloved, you are like this nobleman. Your flesh longs for more, but by faith you receive the Word of Christ and cling tight to it alone for your salvation, for the assurance of the forgiveness of your sins, for life itself.
In your struggles against sin and death you run here, this Cana, to where Jesus is, where He turns wine into His Blood through the Word. And you return, to your Capernaum, to your homes and vocations, with only this Word. Your sight may deceive you, your senses mislead you, your reason and strengthen give you false hope, but the Word of Christ upholds and sustains you.
And behold, Jesus does go with you back to your Capernaum. He never leaves you nor forsakes you. He who gives you His Word, goes with you in and through His Word, back to your households that you may live. That you may carry this Word to them, that they may be catechized in it and strengthened by it, to believe as well. For God will strengthen and keep you firm in His Word and faith until you die.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
So He came again to Cana in Galilee, where He had made the water wine. St John the Evangelist references the first sign of our Lord Christ, His presence at a wedding in Cana where He turned water from six stone water jars used for the Jewish rites of purification into the choicest of wines.
Thus did He bless this marriage and all marriages with His presence and by His Word. So do we continue to pray for our dear brother and sister in Christ, Zach and Julia, who were joined in holy matrimony only yesterday. May God bestow on them the blessing which He gave to Adam and Eve in paradise, secure them in faithfulness to their vows that they may grow in faith toward Him and love toward one another.
Now a noblemen from Capernaum, Jesus’ adult stomping grounds, remember, heard that Jesus was in the vicinity and because his son was desperately ill decides to make the 17 mile trip up hill to Cana.
Of itself this is an act of faith. For faith runs to where Jesus is. Where He is present, for you. This father left the bedside of his dying child to seek and find our Lord Christ that He might come and heal the boy. He had heard of the water turned to wine, of the miracles that Jesus did. The stories circulated and certainly went around in Jesus’ hometown. So he risks it, leaves the boy’s side, and goes.
But that water turned to wine is all gone. It was drunk up, there is none left. Yet the Word of the Lord endures forever.
You see, the nobleman implores Jesus to return with him to heal his son. Come down and heal him. He wants another miracle. “Take this show on the road, Jesus, and come do in Capernaum what you did in Cana.” As St Luke records our Lord’s words in Nazareth, Doubtless you will quote to Me this proverb, “‘Physician, heal yourself.” What we heard you did at Capernaum, do here in Your hometown as well” (Lk 4:23).
But He doesn’t go. Instead Jesus rebukes the man and the whole crowd: Unless you people see signs and wonders you will not believe. The official - really he’s a nobleman, a “little king,” probably a Jew who worked in the employ of Herod - has faith, to be sure, but it is an immature faith. Twice he pleads for Jesus to come to the house and heal the boy. He wants the miracle, not the Word. “Just come to this quick thing, Jesus, and then we can talk. I don’t need your doctrine right now, this is an emergency.”
So much wickedness happens in the Church and amongst Christians with this same type of thinking. We turn the good into a god. We try to make rules from the exceptions. The nobleman loved his son. He was a good father. But he tried to hold up those against the Word of Christ. He had made an idol out of his son’s life. This was the only thing that mattered. We are tempted to believe that there are more important things in this world than the truth of God’s Word. He wanted Jesus and the healing of his son, or he wouldn’t believe. Jesus and relief from pain. Jesus and a happy life. Jesus and . . .
This is where the demons creep in, dear Christians. Trying to get you to expect and demand of God, His Word and something else as proof that He is real; that He loves you, that He will not abandon you. St Paul writes to the Christians in Ephesus, Finally, be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand agains the schemes of the devil. We get so caught up in the imagery and romance of the analogy - in the utility belt, in the glimmering breastplate, in the spiffy shoes, the shield and helmet and sword - that we loose sight of the actual gifts that God gives. Truth. Righteousness. The Gospel. Faith. Salvation. The Word of God.
Your struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the false teaching of Jesus and. Its against the creeping doubt that because you suffer and your loved ones suffer and die, even though you pray fervently for their health and recovery, that Jesus doesn’t care or that He doesn’t love you. That He won’t go with you to your Capernaum. Your struggle is against an immature faith that thinks you need something more than Jesus. Something more than His Word. More than His sure and certain promise of forgiveness and the hope of the resurrection.
As an aside, this is really no different than the struggle between creationism as described in Genesis 1 and 2 and the theory of evolution. Some outright reject God’s Word entirely and say its a lie. Creationism is a myth and fable. Others, though, are like this nobleman. They propose a Theistic Evolution. The Word isn’t enough. Its Jesus and science. They’ll take part of Jesus’ Word, like the nobleman; they’ll keep His signs and wonders, but try to muscle in some other ideas and theories.
And so Jesus rebukes us once as He did this man. He preaches His Law. For He desires our faith to rest upon His Word alone. To cling to it against all other experiences and feelings and worldly thoughts. To stand firm as St Paul says so many times. Stand against the schemes of the devil. Withstand the evil day. Stand firm. Stand therefore.
But the nobleman asks again, Sir, come down before my child dies. And Jesus doesn’t rebuke him again, but patiently bears with his weak faith. He gives His Word which will strengthen such faith. And He tells the man, Go; your son lives. Not will live, future tense. But lives. Present tense. So the nobleman and father doesn’t know if his little boy will be alive when he gets home. But now, with this Word from Christ, he knows his son lives.
This is the meaning of those words spoken by our Lord at the grave of His friend Lazarus. Those words spoken over the body of our sister in Christ, Donna, this past Thursday: I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die (Jn 11:25-26).
And now, at the Word of Jesus, the nobleman goes. Seventeen miles back home to Capernaum, he goes. When he left he saw his dying child. He saw his son’s pallid face. He saw pale lips, closed eyes, and a distraught mother. But now, on his way home, he has the Word of Christ in his ears and in his hand. Your son lives. He runs home with this Word strengthening and sustaining faith which says, “Forget what me eyes see. Curse to the depths what my sense perceive. I have something better. I have the Word of Jesus and that is sufficient.”
This is how Luther said it in a sermon on this text:
“In the first place, I have often said that faith through the Gospel fully brings the Lord Jesus with all his riches home to every man; and that one Christian has just as much [of the Lord and His riches] as another, and the child baptized today has not less than St. Peter and all the saints in heaven. We are all equal and alike in reference to faith [with regard to heavenly treasures], and one person has his treasure just as full and complete as another.
Our Gospel lesson speaks further of the increase of faith, and here there is a difference. Although faith fully possesses Christ and all his riches, yet it must nevertheless be continually kept in motion and exercised, so that it may have assurance, and firmly retain its treasures. There is a difference between having a thing and firmly keeping hold of it, between a strong and a weak faith. Such a great treasure should be firmly seized and well guarded, so that it may not be easily lost or taken from us. I may have it indeed in its entirety, although I hold it only in a paper sack, but it is not so well preserved as if I had it locked in an iron chest.
Therefore we must so live on the earth, not that we think of something different that is better to acquire than what we already possess; but that we strive to lay hold of the treasure more and more firmly and securely from day to day. We have no reason to seek anything more than faith; but here we must see to it how faith may grow and become stronger. Thus we read in the Gospel, that, although the disciples of Christ without doubt believed (for otherwise they had not followed him), yet he often rebuked them on account of their weak faith. They had indeed faith, but when it was put to the test, they let it sink and did not support it.
So it is with all Christians; where faith is not continually kept in motion and exercised, it weakens and decreases, so that it must indeed vanish; and yet we do not see nor feel this weakness ourselves, except in times of need and temptation, when unbelief rages too strongly; and yet for that very reason faith must have temptations in which it may battle and grow. . . .
Therefore you should not imagine it is enough if you have commenced to believe; but you must diligently watch that your faith continue firm, or it will vanish; you are to see how you may retain this treasure you have embraced; for Satan concentrates all his skill and strength on how to tear it out of your heart. Therefore growth of your faith is truly as necessary as its beginning, and indeed more so; but all is the work of God. The young milk-faith is sweet and weak; but when long marches are required and faith is attacked, then God must strengthen it, or it will not hold the field of battle. . . .”
And where does faith continue firm? How does God perform this work in you? We all know the Small Catechism Explanation of the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him . . .” Notice that its in the present tense. Like the life of the nobleman’s son. It is not, “I believe that I could not believe.” But I cannot believe. God the Holy Spirit began saving faith in you through the hearing of the Word. He sustains and strengthens your faith through the self-same Word.
It may appear to be a small and insignificant thing, this Word. But it created the cosmos in the beginning. It caused all things, even matter itself, to come into existence from nothing. This Word was revealed to the prophets of old. And then, in the fullness of time, the Word became flesh. The Word allowed His strength to be beaten out of Him. The Word stood helpless before His accusers. The Word was too weak to carry His Cross. This Word is foolishness and folly to those who are perishing. But to us who believe, by God’s grace and Spirit, this Word is wisdom and righteousness and salvation.
Beloved, you are like this nobleman. Your flesh longs for more, but by faith you receive the Word of Christ and cling tight to it alone for your salvation, for the assurance of the forgiveness of your sins, for life itself.
In your struggles against sin and death you run here, this Cana, to where Jesus is, where He turns wine into His Blood through the Word. And you return, to your Capernaum, to your homes and vocations, with only this Word. Your sight may deceive you, your senses mislead you, your reason and strengthen give you false hope, but the Word of Christ upholds and sustains you.
And behold, Jesus does go with you back to your Capernaum. He never leaves you nor forsakes you. He who gives you His Word, goes with you in and through His Word, back to your households that you may live. That you may carry this Word to them, that they may be catechized in it and strengthened by it, to believe as well. For God will strengthen and keep you firm in His Word and faith until you die.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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