Today's Gospel in Art - Go home: your son will live

The Sick Child, by John Bond Francisco 1893 © Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington

Gospel of 15th March 2021 - John 4:43-54

Jesus left Samaria for Galilee. He himself had declared that there is no respect for a prophet in his own country, but on his arrival the Galileans received him well, having seen all that he had done at Jerusalem during the festival which they too had attended.

He went again to Cana in Galilee, where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a court official there whose son was ill at Capernaum and, hearing that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judaea, he went and asked him to come and cure his son as he was at the point of death. Jesus said, 'So you will not believe unless you see signs and portents!' 'Sir,' answered the official 'come down before my child dies.' 'Go home,' said Jesus 'your son will live.' The man believed what Jesus had said and started on his way; and while he was still on the journey back his servants met him with the news that his boy was alive. He asked them when the boy had begun to recover. 'The fever left him yesterday' they said 'at the seventh hour.' The father realised that this was exactly the time when Jesus had said, 'Your son will live'; and he and all his household believed.

This was the second sign given by Jesus, on his return from Judaea to Galilee.

Reflection on the Painting

In today's Gospel passage we hear how a court official is asking Jesus to come with him to heal his son. Jesus doesn't go with him, but simply speaks the words 'Go home: your son will live'. At that stage the court official could easily have insisted on a sign that his son was actually healed, or even that Jesus would still go to his home. But no, the man simply obeyed without a question and went on his way. He believed and went. As John writes: 'the man believed what Jesus had said and started on his way'.

Our painting by American artist J Bond Francisco, depicts a son lying sick in bed. The pale sheets reflect the boy's poor state. Although his eyes are closed, we can see that he is in a somewhat uncomfortable pose, barely able to hang on to his silk clown: he has only a weak grip on life. We have to remember that in Jesus' time medicine would have been very basic, and of course by the time our canvas was painted in 1893, medicine would be more advanced. But still, most parents would be consumed with worry about their sick child, staying up all night by the bedside, not sure what tomorrow would hold. The mother's anxiety is on full display: the thin needles, the small glasses, the stern look, the black clothes all convey a mother's worry. The bedside table shows used medicine and burnt matches… maybe foretelling that the spark of life will soon be extinguished? We don't know what happened to that boy.

Jesus performed an astonishing miracle, healing the official's son without even being near the child.The dying boy was made healthy again simply with a word, over a distance, at once… probably with his mother being close beside him witnessing the healing up close.

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/745
Christian Art - www.christian.art/index.php