ISSL Reflections July 10 2022 John 4:46–54 Post 3

VII.
I have taken the liberty of making a couple of changes in our focus passage this week. I think the passage supports this contrast in “kingdoms” and want the contrast to stand out to us.

VIII.
John 4:46-54 (New Revised Standard Version)

Then [Jesus] came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was an official of the kingdom whose son lay ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus [who preached the good news of the Kingdom of God] had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my little boy dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, “Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.” The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he himself believed, along with his whole household. Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.

IX.
In various translations the man who comes to Jesus for healing for his son is called “a royal official (NRSV),” “a certain nobleman (KJV),” “a certain official of the king’s court (The Message).”

As I was investigating what was intended by calling this man an “official” I found the Greek word behind our translations is “basilikos.” When Jesus speaks of the “Kingdom of God” the Greek for kingdom is “basileia.”

It seems fairly easy to me to notice the similarity of “basilikos” and “basileia.”

And from there I would suspect that those familiar with Jesus’ teachings might also hear this “kingdom official” is moving from a kingdom ruled by Herod Antipas and Rome to a kingdom where God reigns.

X.
Maybe Jesus asks us to acknowledge the “kingdoms” we answer to and further asks us to join him in living in the Kingdom of God.

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}


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