Section Sixteen

A Royal Official’s Son

The story of this healing starts with Jesus returning to Cana (the place where it is recorded that he turned water into wine). A royal official whose son was sick in Capernaum goes to find Jesus. When the royal official finds Jesus, he begs him to heal his son (who, it is noted, was close to death). Jesus then comments about how people need to see miracles in order to believe. The royal official continues to beg Jesus to heal his son. Jesus then says that the royal official should leave, and that his son will live. The official believes Jesus and leaves in order to go back home. While he still on his way, word reaches him that his son was still alive. The official asks about the time when his son got better. He then realises that the point at which his son got better was the same time at which Jesus had said that his son would live. As a result of the healing, the royal official and his household believed.