It is needless to follow the matter further. We can understand how, leaving Capernaum in the morning, the interview with Jesus and the simultaneous cure of the child would have taken place about seven o'clock of the evening. Its result was, not only the restoration of the child, but that, no longer requiring to see signs and wonders, the man believed the word which Jesus had spoken unto him.' In this joyous assurance, which needed no more ocular demonstration, he went his way,' either to the hospitable home of a friend, or to some near lodging-place on the way, to be next day met by the gladsome tidings, that it had been to him according to his faith. As already noted, the whole morale of the history lies in this very matter, and it marks the spiritual receptiveness of the courtier, which, in turn, was the moral condition of his desire being granted. Again, we learn how, by the very granting of his desire, the spiritual object of Christ in the teaching of the courtier was accomplished, how, under certain spiritual conditions in him and upon him, the temporal benefit accomplished its spiritual object. And in this also, as in other points which will occur to the devout reader, there are lessons of deepest teaching to us, and for all times and circumstances.
Whether this royal officer' was Chuza, Herod's steward, whose wife, under the abiding impression of this miracle to her child, afterwards humbly, gratefully ministered to Jesus, [2053] must remain undermined on this side time. Suffice it, to mark the progress in the royal officer' from belief in the power of Jesus to faith in His word, [2054] and thence to absolute faith in Him, [2055] with its blessed expansive effect on that whole household. And so are we ever led faithfully and effectually, yet gently, by His benefits, upwards from the lower stage of belief by what we see Him do, to that higher faith which is absolute and unseeing trust, springing from experimental knowledge of what He is. __________________________________________________________________
[2013] St. John iv. 45.
[2014] The history of the Baptist's imprisonment will be given in the sequel.
[2015] St. Matt. iv. 12.
[2016] St. Mark i. 14.
[2017] St. Luke iv. 11.
[2018] St. Matt. iv. 17.
[2019] St. Mark i. 15.
[2020] The origin, authorship, and occasion of the Synoptic Gospels and of that by St. John, as well as their interrelation, is discussed in Euseb. Hist. Eccles. iii. 24, the discussion being the more important that Eusebius throughout appeals for his statements to the testimony of the ancients.'
[2021] St. John iv. 43-54.
[2022] St. John iv. 45-54.
[2023] St. Luke iv. 16-30.
[2024] St. Matt. iv. 13-17; St. Mark i. 14, 15; St. Luke iv. 31, 32.
[2025] St. John v. 1.
[2026] St. Matt. iv.18-22 &c.
[2027] St. Luke iv. 16.
[2028] St. Luke iv. 15.
[2029] St. Luke iv. 31; comp. St. Matt. iv. 13-16.
[2030] St. John iv. 44.
[2031] I cannot believe that the expression His own country,' refers to Judæa. Such an explanation is not only unnatural, but contrary to the usage of the expression dios (his own'). Comp. St. Matt. ix. 1; also St. John vii. 40-42. Strauss's arguments (Leben Jesu, i. p. 659) seem here conclusive.
[2032] St. John ii. 1-11.
[2033] St. Luke iv. 23.
[2034] basiliks, used by Josephus in the general sense of officers in the service of Herod Antipas. Comp. Krebs, Obs. in N. Test. e Fl. Josepho, pp. 144, 145, who notes that the expression occurs 600 times in the writings of Josephus.
[2035] Ber. 34 b; Jer. Ber. 9 d.
[2036] The emphasis must lie on the word see,' yet not exclusively. Lücke's objections to this (Ev. Joh. i. p. 622) are not well founded.
[2037] ver. 49.
[2038] ver. 50.
[2039] ver. 53.
[2040] St. John i. vi. 50, 51.