There are barriers to faith.  For many it is hard to believe that Jesus is real.  This is one of the reasons, Jesus performed many miracles and signs; to prove He was the Son of God, not to mention His desire to overcome the works of Satan.  Many encounter the supernatural beyond coincidence, are convicted of sin and believe in Christ.  Many are spiritually blind, and Satan prevents them from seeing truth.  Some fail to come to faith in Christ because of a bad experience, a misconception of the gospel, incorrect information, an immoral lifestyle that they are unwilling to give up.  Some reject it as intellectual dishonesty.  Some are embittered because of circumstances in their lives and out of anger feel they can fight God and reject Him, or are caught up in self and do not want to yield the control and supremacy of their lives.  Faith is taking God at His word.  

Believing Jesus because He spoke to the Samaritans was noble faith.  Afterwards, when Jesus went to Galilee, He was met by a man whose son lay sick at Capernaum.  This man begged Him to come and heal his son. Look what Jesus says in vs. 48 “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe.”  Faith involved a declaration of God’s word and a response to that word as true without regard to circumstances.  If you will, the faith of the Samaritans was nobler because they did not need signs and wonders; they heard and accepted His words and His character as true.       

Charles Spurgeon talks of three stages of faith: the Seeking Stage, the Relying Stage and the Full Assurance.       

The Samaritans came ready to respond; they came to see.  They were in the first stage of what Spurgeon calls faith to seek.  They were ripe and ready; they just needed to be pointed to the way.  They desired in their hearts to know God and when He was revealed in Jesus, they believed Him.      

The nobleman went to Jesus to ask if He would heal his son.  There is a difference, this man wanted his son saved. 

The testimony of others is the tool of God to cause people to explore more.  The man believed Christ’s power to heal his son, so he pleaded and prayed to God even persisting when rebuked.  The belief that Jesus could help was strong enough to know to pray, but not knowledgeable enough to realize it is not by our own ways miracles happen.  He wanted Jesus to go with him.  It was enough that Jesus just spoke the word.  Jesus did not have to come down, but when He told him his son would be healed, that was enough. He believed and went. The boy was healed.

Application: Seek to know God and to be known by Him.     

Prayer:  Lord, give me a desire to know You.  Your Word says, “You will seek me and you shall find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”   Lord, give me a faith of full assurance.   You are my righteousness.  

Dale