Jesus’s attitude toward his own miracles throughout all four Gospels is perhaps best described as ambivalent. This is highlighted in today’s Gospel. It is important for the sacred author to note that Cana is where Jesus performed his first “sign” (turning water into wine at the wedding) because, in John’s Gospel, this event marked the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.
Jesus’ attitude toward his miracles is demonstrated very well in his response to the royal official from Capernaum. Upon hearing the man's request to heal his son, the Lord replies: “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”1 But the worried father persists, pleading with Jesus to come with him to Capernaum before his son dies.
Rather than accompany the man back home to heal his son, Jesus, no doubt seeing not only the man’s desperation but his faith, dismisses him, telling him: “You may go; your son will live.”2 Unlike the dramatic way in which Jesus restored the sight of the man born blind a bit later on in John's Gospel (i.e., spitting in the dirt and then rubbing the mud on the man’s eyes), in this passage Jesus heals the royal official’s son in a very undramatic way and from a distance.3
Hearing Jesus’ assurance, the royal official returns home to find that his son is better. Inquiring about the timing of the boy’s recovery, he finds that it occurred about the same time as his encounter with Jesus. He shares this with his household. His plea was answered. Members of his household, hearing this and only seeing the son’s recovery, not having directly encountered Jesus themselves, come to believe.
It seems we have a hard time believing in Jesus until he does something for us or proves himself in some way. In the end, such belief is built on sand. What happens when Jesus does not answer your desperate plea in the way you want him to?
Staying in John’s Gospel, let’s move forward to after Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection and consider the episode featuring the so-called “doubting” Thomas.4 Unlike the members of the royal official's household, Thomas would not believe his close associates who told him they had seen the risen Jesus. Thomas insists that he must see for himself. Otherwise, he won’t believe it.
A week later, Jesus gives Thomas the proof he seeks. The resurrected Lord has his unbelieving follower put his finger in the wounds left by the nails. He has him place his hand in the wound the centurion’s sword left in his side. As Thomas worships him, the risen Lord tells him: “do not be unbelieving, but believe.”5
In the form of a rhetorical question, Jesus says that Thomas believes only because he has seen. He then says what he leaves unsaid in his initial reply to the royal official’s plea: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”6 Believing without seeing seems to be the greatest miracle of all!
Take the Eucharist. It is not obvious to a casual observer that anything happens when the words of consecration are spoken over the bread and the wine. In fact, physically and so in appearance, nothing changes. Nonetheless, as Catholics, we believe that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, ex opere operato, as it were. But where’s the proof?
Well, my friends, the only convincing proof is the lives of those of us who receive Christ in communion. Just like Jesus didn't want to be known as a "miracle worker," a magician, we must not conceive of the Eucharist as a magic trick but as a calling to serve others in his name.
1 John 4:48.↩
2 John 4:50.↩
3 See John 9.↩
4 See John 20:24-29.↩
5 John 20:27.↩
6 John 20:29.↩
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