Jesus famously turned water into wine at a wedding in the town of Cana, saving the host family from embarrassment and astounding the servers who saw it all happen.

Do you think the word spread?

Jesus moved on, but later returned to Cana. John tells the story: There was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

We’re told that the man took Jesus at his word and went home to his son, who recovered at that very moment. As a result, he and his whole household believed.

I’m struck by this father. I’m sure he’d done everything for his son. Being a royal official, he likely had access to doctors and medicines, but nothing worked. Then he heard Jesus was nearby, and rushed to the one person in all the universe who might help.

I’m sure this took humility, and I wonder who scoffed at his insistence on finding the preacher? But his child’s life hung by a thread and nothing else mattered.

This story helps me to remember that I might run, at any time, to the one person in all the universe who holds the power to meet my needs.

While a shortage of wine feels desperate, it fails to match the anguish of a dying child. So it’s fascinating—and comforting—to me that Jesus stepped into both situations to bring joy and healing.

John 4 in week forty-three of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Ronan Furuta

John 3:16 might be the most recognized verse in the Bible: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

But do you remember how John rephrased the big idea a few lines later? Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36).

The same beautiful thought infuses both lines—believe in the Son for eternal life.

But the second phrase reminds us that obedience matters. Belief leads to obedience. Graciously, perfection is not required. I often fall far short of God’s ideals, but God wants me to attempt—in a serious way—to follow him.

If I claim belief in Jesus, but reject, or even neglect, the moral teachings of scripture, then my faith stands as a facade. In this state faith consists merely of hopes for the best, vague wishes flitting about in the ether.

Jesus affirmed and upheld the teachings of the Hebrew scriptures. When I choose to like some verses and toss out others, I underscore the vanity and shallowness of my faith. John reminds me that the words of God come packaged, all there for me to wrestle with as a follower of Jesus.

Faith and obedience. Like two sides of a coin, I cannot separate them and hope to see life eternal.

John 3 in week forty-three of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Saikat Das

I’m not generally a believer in karma, but at times I wonder.

After blogging on patience yesterday, I got up at 5:30 am for a trip to South Carolina. I checked my travel app and seeing all things were on schedule, my wife and I headed to the airport. Only upon arriving at our gate did an ominous message post, as seen above.

A massive delay.

Not long enough to go home, we spent a fascinating day at the Denver International Airport (which is actually quite nice). We walked all three terminals, getting 10,000+ steps in, and ate a nice lunch paid for (mostly) by airline vouchers. I finished a book. Now I write as we’re awaiting our inbound aircraft.

Yesterday I found this verse fascinating: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day (2 Peter 3:8)—which gives rise to my speculations on karma.

This verse, while not written in light of flight delays, feels appropriate today: But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently (Romans 8:25).

And so I wait semi-patiently, and the life learning continues.

Week forty-two of reading the Bible cover to cover

Patience may be a virtue, but it’s rarely one of mine.

Several events this past week tested my patience. I grew restless when my package, arriving early thanks to one-day delivery, landed on my porch at the end of the day instead of mid-day. I fretted when my food failed to arrive promptly at a restaurant. I sat at the doctor’s office—antsy.

Of course, every morning I desperately await the coffee slowly dripping through its filter, but I consider that medicinal (more of an emergency situation) and so outside the bounds of normal patience.

With such attitudes in mind, I’m grateful to embrace this promise: The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

While I’m impatient toward others, I’m so grateful for the Lord’s patience with me. This passage beautifully reveals the broad mercy of the Lord—not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

As I ponder this, I realize that I exhibit patience in at least one area of life—my garden. I enjoy the slow emergence of flowering plants throughout the spring and summer, and picking the blackberries, raspberries and strawberries ripe on their vines. At this time of year I appreciate the gradual fade of fall into winter.

My garden, and nature around me, gives me a hint of the Lord’s patience. I’ll enjoy this season, contemplating God’s incredible goodness—and patience—towards me and you and the folks all around us.

1 Peter 3 in week forty-two of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by R O