During his life, Jesus radically altered many lives. He healed so many diseases and cast out so many demons that the apostles seemed to lose count. And it makes sense—there was no shortage of suffering in the land, and everyone desperately needed the miraculous relief that Jesus was bringing everywhere he went. Imagine being this royal official, this caring father who was so terrified by the prospect of losing his son that he traveled a full day to find this miracle-worker he had heard about! And imagine his mental tumult during his walk back, after Jesus had given him nothing but a short word of hope!
Many people probably expected, and still expect today, for Jesus’ miracles to be extravagant displays of power with lightning and dragons and sparkles. “Show me that,” they say, “and I’ll believe.” But Jesus had no interest in being a magician or a performer. He came to Earth wrapped in quiet subtlety. That way, true faith would be tested and proven true. This royal official, for example, was left with no choice but to entrust to God all the control he thought he had. But though Jesus’ signs are subtle, they are also sure. The official’s son recovered, and he only had to reflect on his meeting with Jesus to see that the miracle was certainly a work of God. Though Jesus acts subtly, when we truly put our faith and trust in him, we will be able to undeniably recognize his hand in every good thing.
God always works on his own time and not ours, though we may want to see him work in the ways we can control. But entrusting our control fully to God, and trusting that he will take care of us in his own quiet way, forces our faith to mature. We cannot help but entrust everything to him when we truly have nothing else but him. Believe in the saving power of Christ Jesus, not just because we have seen extravagant wonders from him, but because he is faithful even when he is quiet. Though he is sometimes subtle, his salvation is sure. So recognize that his hand is in every good thing, and then truly believe in him!
