The Gospel in Lent, 31 March: Seeing is believing?
Today's gospel invites us to consider if we need to see in order to believe, or if like the official in this story we are able to take Jesus at his word, and be blessed. (See John 20:29.)
Today's gospel reading: John 4:43-54
When the two days were over, he went from that place to Galilee (for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honour in the prophet’s own country). When he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the festival; for they too had gone to the festival.
Then he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine.
Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum.When he heard that Jesus 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.
Sacred Space
You can find a devotional aid with reflection on this gospel here:
https://sacredspace.com/daily-prayer/2025-03-31/
Christian Art
You can listen to or read a reflection on this gospel and a piece of art here:
https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-4-43-54-2025/
Telling this story to children
_-_James_Tissot.jpg)
The Healing of the Officer's Son
by James Tissot, 1850
Public domain
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healing_the_royal_official%27s_son#)
Collect of the Day
Lord God
whose blessed Son our Saviour
gave his back to the smiters
and did not hide his face from shame:
Give us grace to endure the sufferings of this present time
with sure confidence in the glory that shall be revealed;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Collect in Lent
Almighty and everlasting God,
you hate nothing that you have made
and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent:
Create and make in us new and contrite hearts
that we, worthily lamenting our sins
and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may receive from you, the God of all mercy,
perfect remission and forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
