John 4: Our Lord's Return to Galilee

Bishop Williamson begins this session with administrative announcements regarding an upcoming conference. He then transitions to the Gospel of St. John, focusing on the conclusion of chapter 4, specifically verses 43 through 54. He addresses the textual challenges presented by the sequence of events, noting the difficulty of reconciling the chronology of the Lord's return to Galilee with the earlier events described in the Synoptic Gospels. He emphasizes that these verses offer three distinct interpretations regarding why Jesus left Judea and returned to the region of his upbringing.

He proceeds to explain that the term ruler, mentioned in reference to the official whose son was sick at Capernaum, likely refers to an officer of Caesar or a member of Herod Antipas's court. He analyzes the interaction between Jesus and this official, highlighting the Lord's sharp rebuke regarding the need for signs and wonders to elicit belief. He contrasts this with the official's persistent faith, which grows from a request for a physical cure to a deeper spiritual recognition of Christ's authority. He also discusses the historical and theological significance of the miracle at Cana and the subsequent healing of the nobleman's son, noting how these events served to manifest the Lord's divinity to the Galileans who had witnessed his previous actions in Jerusalem.

He concludes by addressing the broader implications of these miracles for the faith of the disciples and the surrounding community. He warns against the tendency to treat such events merely as historical curiosities, urging students instead to view them as active demonstrations of the Lord's power over both space and time. He ends the session by reflecting on the nature of true faith, which does not rely on the constant demand for miraculous proof, but rather accepts the word of God as sufficient in itself.