Daily Gospel Reflection for March 11, 2024

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: John 4:43-54

Sometimes when we ask God for more, He responds by inviting us to believe more first.

In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus returning to Cana, the place where He performed His first miracle. So Jesus shows up with this reputation for doing the impossible, and a royal official approaches Him and asks for a miracle: keep his son from dying.

“Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Christ says, “you will not believe.” We may be tempted to think Jesus is scoffing here. He is at least stating facts. In response, the official asks Jesus a second time to “come down” to his dying son.

However, rather than Jesus following the official to heal the boy in person, He dismisses the distraught parent. He sent him away, however, with a promise:

“You may go; your son will live.”

Jesus was asking this man to believe without seeing any more signs or wonders first. The official responded by doing what so many of us struggle to do: he trusted in God’s word for his children. He believed.

He didn’t just believe and stay stuck, though. He got moving. That’s a good thing, too. He didn’t see Jesus’ promise fulfilled until he believed enough to get moving and keep moving towards that promise, because it was on his way home that he was met with the news that his son was well.

Jesus wants to provide for us, yes, but He also wants to be believed in. What a human desire! In this passage, we are reminded that He is not what He does for us: He is what He is with us. What we have with Jesus is not one-sided transactionality but cooperative relationship. In this community is our communion with Him—a sharing that asks us to believe first.

Ponder:

Where are the places in my life where God is asking me to believe and move before I can see?

Pray:

Jesus, You are so very human. You ache to be believed in, just like we do. Help us to believe that Your timing and Your invitation to move are not inflicted upon us but are offered for our eternal benefit.