A Living and Active Faith

Trinity 21| John 4:46-54| Pastor James Preus| Trinity Lutheran Church| November 9, 2025

The nobleman believed in Christ. That is why he traveled to Cana of Galilee from Capernaum to beg Jesus to come and heal his son, who was near death. Yet, instead of going with the nobleman, Jesus said, “Unless you all see signs and wonders, you all will never believe.” But the man did believe! That’s why he came to Jesus. Yet, Jesus puts this man through a trial as if He were not going to heal his son. And through this Gospel lesson, the Evangelist tells us two more times that the man believed. He believed when he first came to Jesus, he believed again when he heard Jesus’ promise that his son was well, and then he believed yet again with his whole household after Jesus’ Word proved true just as He said.

And what this teaches us is that faith is living and active. What does it mean that faith is living and active? It means that faith is either growing or it is dying. Faith is not an idle thing, but something that must grow stronger and livelier. If it is not growing, it is shrinking. If it is not active, it is dying.

On the one hand, faith is very passive. Faith is not some great work you do to earn God’s favor. Rather, faith is a receptive organ. It receives what is given to it. The reason faith alone saves, is because faith alone receives Christ Jesus and His promises, which alone save. Christ Jesus is our Savior, who has taken away our sins, defeating death and Satan for us, and He gives us eternal salvation as a gift by the merits of His perfect obedience, suffering, death, and resurrection. Faith is simply receiving the gift. Faith is passive.

Yet, on the other hand, faith is active and alive. It doesn’t just sit there like a waste basket, waiting for Jesus to drop the gift in. Faith lays hold of the promise, embraces it, guards it, and moves the body, soul, and mind to respond according to it. Faith doesn’t sit still, but it moves and grows and responds to life. And because faith alone is what lays hold of eternal salvation, the health and well-being of your faith is the most important thing in your life. And since Satan is not sitting around doing nothing, but prowls around like a roaring lion, your faith must always be on guard, endeavoring to grow strong and active and prepared, because Satan does not take a day off.

Now by faith, what we mean is the faith which believes, that activity of the heart which takes hold of the promises of Christ. The word faith is also used to mean the faith which is believed, such as, the Christian faith. The faith which is believed is the information which a Christian believes and trusts in, such as what we confess in the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds and in our Small Catechism. The faith which you believe and the faith which believes must go together. It is possible to believe with a very strong faith, but to believe in the wrong faith. Those terrorists who killed all those people on 9-11 nearly a quarter century ago certainly had strong faith that their god would reward them for sacrificing their own lives to kill others. But the faith which they believed was wrong. Likewise, it takes a lot of faith to have the courage to go and share your faith with others, as we see in the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, who go door to door to share their faith, which rejects the Holy Trinity and the Gospel that we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ alone. However, a person could have a very weak faith, yet if he believes in what is true, that faith still saves, because it holds on to the Savior Jesus, even in great weakness.

So, when we talk about the importance in having a strong faith, we mean having a strong faith in the true Jesus Christ, true God and true man, who suffered and died for our sins, and who reveals Himself to us in Holy Scripture.

The man had the right faith. He believed in Jesus. He believed that He could save his son. Yet, the man had a weak faith. He thought Jesus had to personally come down to his house to heal his son. He doubted Christ’s power to save through His Word alone. And so, Jesus laid a trial upon him. He seems to rebuke the man for wanting to see a sign. He seems to call the man and the crowd’s faith a sham. This causes the nobleman to humble himself even more and beg Jesus to come down before his son dies! Yet, after this short trial, Jesus gives the man a word of comfort. “Go, your son lives.”

Now, why did Jesus put the man through that trial? It seems cruel. The man is anxious about his young boy. Any parent can relate to the man’s fear in such a situation. And as if to rub salt in the wound, Jesus acts as if he won’t help him. How many of you have been in such a situation? You’re in trouble. You pray to God for help. Your request isn’t selfish. It’s simply asking God to do what He promises He will do. Yet, God makes you wait. It seems like He’s not going to answer your prayers. Or as if He’ll say no.

Why does God bring those who believe in Him through such trials? So that they do not trust in themselves, or even in their great faith, but only in Him. So that they open their ears even wider to listen to God to hear His answer. It is as St. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12, when he says that he prayed to God three times to remove the thorn in his side, a messenger of Satan that was harassing him, but the Lord answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” So Paul responds, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (verses 9-10)

A strong faith does not mean a strong person. A great faith does not mean a proud person. Rather a great and strong faith is found in one who recognizes his own weakness, and trusts in Christ alone for strength and power. The weak and humble have a keen ear ready to listen and grab hold of Christ’s promises. The strong and proud do not listen, and so their faith cannot grab hold to the promise.

And this brings us to our next question. What is the source of saving faith? It is not signs and wonders. Rather, it is the Word of Christ, as St. Paul says in Romans 10, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.” Jesus said just a short sentence: “Go, your son lives.” And the man believed Jesus’ Word, and it was as Jesus said. It is only through Jesus’ Word of promise that the Holy Spirit works to create saving faith.

And Jesus gives you such words of comfort. All of Scripture is Jesus’ Word (John 5:30), so the words of Jesus’ Apostles are indeed the words of Christ (Luke 10:16). Jesus says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16) Galatians 3 states, “as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Romans 8 states, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Paul confesses of Christ in 1 Timothy 1, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” You have Jesus’ Word of promise in your Baptism. You have Jesus’ Word of promise in the Absolution, in the Lord’s Supper, in your daily prayers. Jesus says, “whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you.” (John 16:23)

You have the Word of Christ, that Jesus died to ransom the whole world of her sins, which certainly includes your sins, so that whoever believes in Jesus will not die but have everlasting life (John 3:16).  And so, like that nobleman, you can return home with confidence that your prayers are answered.

While the man was still walking home, his servants met him to declare the good news that his son had recovered. The nobleman inquired when his son began to get better, and they told him the same hour that Jesus has said, “Your son lives.” And so, the man believed again a third time. Yet, he did not believe alone, his entire household, wife, children, and servants, believed with him.

And this teaches us two things about the activity of a living and active faith. First, the man already had Jesus’ Word, he had the news that Jesus’ Word was fulfilled, and yet he continued to inquire and investigate the Word. He did not do this in unbelief, but through faith. This is why Christians continue to read their Bibles, attend church, and Bible study. They desire to learn more and become more firmly grounded in God’s Word, on which alone our faith stands. And so, you should not act as if you have enough faith, enough knowledge, enough trust in God’s Word, but you should inquire into it more and more, so that it may prove itself true again and again.

Second, the man’s entire house believed with him. This means that the nobleman taught his entire household the words of Jesus. That is the only way they could have believed. And because the man had a living and active faith, He confessed the Word of Jesus and taught it to his household, so that they would also believe in Jesus as he did. This is the fruit of faith. With the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Romans 10:10). This man believed, so he confessed Jesus’ true Word to his family. And so, every Christian father should not sit quietly in his faith, but lead his family in daily devotions and tell them the reason for the hope that is in him.

This is the activity of a living faith. This is why you fathers especially, and you mothers, should teach your families the words of Christ. It is the Word of Christ which creates faith, feeds, and sustains it. And it is faith in Jesus’ Word alone that saves you. For a man to refuse to teach his family Jesus’ Word is a terrible sign that he does not really believe Jesus’ Word, otherwise why would he deprive those whom he loves of this most precious treasure, which grants forgiveness of sins and eternal life to all who believe? So, let your faith be active, not only for yourself, but for your household and for everyone you get the opportunity to confess Christ to.

Do not be discouraged if you are weak or if it seems that God is not answering your prayers. It is good to be weak before God. That is when you receive His strength. Rather, cling to His Word and believe it again and again, walking, talking, and living according to it. Such a faith can never disappoint you, because it is grounded on Christ Jesus your Savior, whose Word and Promise always prove true. Amen.