Homilies on the Gospel of John

“Sir, come down ere my child die.”

As though He could not raise him after death, as though He knew not what state the child was in. It is for this that Christ rebukes him and touches his conscience, to show that His miracles were wrought principally for the sake of the soul. For here He heals the father, sick in mind, no less than the son, in order to persuade us to give heed to Him, not by reason of His miracles, but of His teaching. For miracles are not for the faithful, but for the unbelieving and the grosser sort.

3. At that time then, owing to his emotion, the nobleman gave no great heed to the words, or to those only which related to his son, yet he would afterwards recollect what had been said, and draw from thence the greatest advantage. As indeed was the case.

But what can be the reason why in the case of the centurion He by a free offer undertook to come, while here though invited, He goes not? Because in the former case faith had been perfected, and therefore He undertook to go, that we might learn the rightmindedness of the man; but here the nobleman was imperfect. When therefore he continually urged Him, saying, “Come down,” and knew not yet clearly that even when absent He could heal, He shows that even this was possible unto Him in order that this man might gain from Jesus not going, that knowledge which the centurion had of himself. And so when He says,“Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe,” His meaning is, “You have not yet the right faith, but still feel towards Me as towards a Prophet.” Therefore to reveal Himself and to show that he ought to have believed even without miracles, He said what He said also to Philip, “Believest thou that the Father is in Me and I in the Father? Or if not, believe Me for the very works' sake.”