Have you ever yearned to see a miracle? Some evidence of the invisible God made visible in your life? Just something to embolden your faith? I've often found myself wondering why God doesn't do more to demonstrate His existence for us today.
Why no more pillars of fire? Why do we never see the sea parted by the breath of God or a dead man rise? Why no more thundering voices from the heavens? Not even a whisper? I have friends that have begged God, through tears, to reveal Himself audibly, and yet, silence. Why?
While I don't have all the answers, as I studied John 4 this week, one thing I'd not noticed before jumped off the page. Here, John places two stories side by side, and as we should know by now, John rarely does things by accident.
The first portion of the chapter is the lengthy conversation that Jesus has with the Samaritan woman—a conversation in which Jesus reveals Himself as the Messiah for the very first time. To a Samaritan. To a woman.
She listens, she believes, and she runs to tell her neighbors. The living water she has been given is bubbling up within her, and she cannot help but pour it out for the people in her village. Then, notice the progression of their belief:
"Many believed because of the woman's testimony..." (4:39)
Then:
"Many more believed because of His word." (4:41)
Finally:
"We no longer believe just because of what you said. Now we have heard for ourselves..." (4:42)
The next story John recounts also results in belief, but contains a word of warning from Jesus. A royal official has heard that Jesus has returned to Cana. The last time He was there He turned water to wine at the wedding—a story that has no doubt circulated through the small village. And he comes to Jesus with a request to heal his dying son, to which Jesus replies, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe" (John 4:48).
Now Jesus does go on to heal his son, and he and his entire household do believe. But when we read these two stories side by side, we cannot help but notice the contrast in that belief.
Jesus doesn't heal anyone in Samaria. He doesn't calm a storm. He doesn't feed a crowd. He doesn't turn water into wine. There is no dramatic display of power. He gives them His words. First, through the woman's testimony, then, to them directly. Their conversion hinges entirely on hearing the words of God. They believe without spectacle. Do I?
I am so often tempted to ask God to do something undeniable before I'll trust Him. I want the miracle, the open door, the dramatic answer, the undeniable sign. I assume that if God would simply make His presence more obvious, my faith would come easier. Like the disciples, who only believed once they'd seen Jesus standing before them, I want to see something spectacular. Jesus says to me as He said to Thomas, "“Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (Jn 20:29).
John is reminding us that the deepest faith isn't born from spectacular moments. After all, most of those who saw mighty miracles in the Bible faltered in their faith over and over again. The Samaritan woman teaches us that faith can grow through simply listening to Jesus.
A woman encounters Jesus and then tells her friends about it. The result? Salvation for them all. The Samaritans found that His Word was enough. That is an amazingly beautiful, yet ordinary story.
We think we need the extraordinary. We think it would somehow be simpler if we could see the fire fall from Heaven. But faith is difficult either way.
My challenge this week is to look for God in the ordinary. To sit with His words, and let them be enough to build your faith for today.
John 4, on the Podcast Now!
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