Believing In or Merely For?

S - John 4:46-53 (TLJ): "One of the king's important officials lived in the city of Capernaum. This man's son was sick. The man heard that Jesus had come from Judea and was not in Galilee. So he went to Jesus and begged him to come to Capernaum and heal his son, who was almost dead. Jesus said to him, 'You people must see miraculous signs and wonders before you will believe in me.' The king's official said, 'Sir, come before my little boy dies.' Jesus answered, 'Go. Your son will live.' The man believed what Jesus told him and went home. On the way home the man's servants came and met him. They said, 'Your son is well.' The man asked, 'What time did my son begin to get well?' The answered, 'It was about one o'clock yesterday when the fever left him.' The father knew that one o'clock was the same time that Jesus had said, 'Your son will live.' So the man and everyone in his house believed in Jesus."

O - The Lord's immediate response to this dad's understandably desperate request is quite interesting to me on several counts.  Apparently, asking Jesus for a miracle and believing in him is NOT the same thing.  Didn't the dad ask and didn't Jesus say in response to him 'You people must see miraculous signs and wonders before you will believe in me.'? Also, wasn't the miracle of the healed son the inspiration or confirmation for the entire household to believe in Jesus? The man had some faith because he takes Jesus at his word and leaves without Jesus coming with him to his home believing/hoping that his son would in fact recover and live.  Believing for something is not the same as believing in someone.  Jesus calls us to believe in him not just to believe for him to do stuff; all are called to follow the person of Jesus not just a concept of the Christ.

A - Believing in the person Jesus and not just the concept or a principle or promise is critical on so many levels.  When I am unable to grasp what is going on or why something is happening I can grasp his person and default to trust.  The Gospel is a person. God doesn’t want to capture a market share of the human race but to adopt human beings into his family. Heaven isn't offering us an improved version of self-help but help in the form of transformation.  Today the work is believing in the person of Jesus and in the ongoing context of a love relationship; Jesus want me to be asking for anything and to be willing for anything and everything he already has in mind to do.

P - Lord,

I do believe and please, please help my unbelief.  I want to keep asking big; to start my thinking, praying, speaking and believing at only one spot: with God all things are possible. Thank you again for loving me/us first and most and for refusing to change your mind. 

Grateful to be yours by right and by grace,

Steve