October 25, 2026
Today's Reading: John 4:46-54
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 27:1-26; Matthew 17:14-27
"Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe." (John 4:48)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
The royal official comes to Jesus in desperation. His son is about to die back in Capernaum, and he has traveled to Cana looking for the miracle worker. He needs Jesus to come down and heal his boy before it’s too late. But time is running out, and death is closing in.
When he finds Jesus, Jesus’ response seems harsh. “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” It sounds like a rebuke, as though Jesus is frustrated with people who need proof before they’ll trust Him. But see what happens next. Jesus doesn’t send the man away empty-handed. Instead, he says, “Go, your son will live.” And here’s the amazing thing - the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. He didn’t demand proof. He didn’t insist that Jesus come with him. He simply trusted the promise and went on his way.
This is the faith Christ creates in us. It isn’t a faith that demands evidence before it will trust. Instead, it’s a faith that clings to the Word of Christ even when circumstances scream otherwise. The official’s son was still sick when he left Jesus. The fever hadn’t even broken yet. In fact, nothing had changed! Yet he walked away believing, because Jesus had spoken.
We live in a world that demands signs and wonders before it will believe. Show me the proof! Give me the evidence! Let me see it with my own eyes! But Christ calls us to a different kind of faith - a faith that trusts His Word even when we can’t see the outcome, even when the situation looks hopeless, even when death seems certain.
The next day, while still on the road, servants meet the official with news. His son lives! The fever left him yesterday at about the seventh hour - the very moment Jesus spoke the word. What the father believed by faith, he now knows by sight. But notice: faith came first. He believed before he saw.
This is how Christ deals with us. He speaks His Word to us in Scripture, in Absolution, in Baptism, in His Supper. He promises forgiveness, life, and salvation. We don’t always see the results right away. The struggle doesn’t always end. But His Word is still true. His promise still stands. Your sins are forgiven. You are His beloved child. Death has been defeated. Christ is risen.
The royal official believed the word Jesus spoke to him. So do we. Not because we see signs and wonders, but because Christ has spoken, and His Word never fails.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank You that of Your great goodness and mercy You have given us Your holy Word, through which You work in us to draw us from all manner of sin, and preserve us from the devil and eternal death: We pray You that You will impart to us Your grace, that we may from our hearts hear and receive Your holy Word, and by Your grace bring forth fruit with patience, and that we may never forsake Your Word either in prosperity or adversity; through Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for the Twenty-First Sunday After Trinity)
Rev. Dr. Thomas Brown, pastor of Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Spearfish, SD.
Where are you looking for meaning? In Lift Your Eyes: How to Live Outside Yourself author Joshua Pfeiffer charts a compelling path outward: upward to God in faith and gratitude, outward to our neighbors in love and service, and forward in joyful anticipation of resurrection.
