Faith And Healing

Et erat quidam regulus, cujus filius infirmabatur Capharnaum. Hic cum audisset quia Jesus adveniret a Judea in Galilaeam, abiit ad eum, et rogabat eum ut descenderet, et sanaret filium ejus: incipiebat enim mori. Dixit ergo Jesus ad eum: Nisi signa et prodigia videritis, non creditis. Dicit ad eum regulus: Domine, descende priusquam moriatur filius meus. Dicit ei Jesus: Vade, filius tuus vivit. Credidit homo sermoni quem dixit ei Jesus, et ibat. Quaest. II. Item quaerit Gregorius de isto regulo, utrum crederet , an non? Quod non, videtur: 1. Quia Dominus increpat eum: Nisi signa et prodigia videritis , non creditis. 2. Hoc ipsum arguitur per litteram: quia petebat, quod descenderet, quasi nisi in praesentia sanare non posset. Sed contra hoc est: si non credidit, quomodo salutem filii postulavit a Domino? Respondeo: Dicendum, quod credidit, sed semiplene: credidit, in Christo esse virtutem ad salvandum filium; sed non credidit, in eo esse Divinitatem per quam posset ubique. Unde fides fuit, cum petiit salutem; sed defectus fidei, cum requirebat praesentiam corporalem. Quaest. III. Item quaerit dictus Gregorius : unde est, quod Dominus ad servum centurionis ire se obtulit, ad filium reguli, cum rogaretur, ire recusavit? Respondeo: Dicendum, quod hoc fuit ad aedificationem fidei et morum: fidei, quia, dum se obtult centurioni, ipsius fidei devotionem nobis manifestavit; dum retraxit se a filio reguli, curando eum in absentia, ad Divinitatis idem invitavit. Ad aedificationem vero morum , ut nostram superbiam constringeret, qui magnos veneramur et parvos despicimus, Dominus se obtulit ire ad centurionis servum, et recusavit ire ad reguli filium. Sanctus Bonaventura, Commentarius In Evangelium Ioannem, Caput IV Source: Here, p278

And there was a certain local ruler, whose son was lying sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judaea to Galilee, he went to him and asked Him to come down and heal his son, who was about to die. Jesus said to him, 'Unless you shall see signs and miracles, you shall not believe.' The local ruler said to him, 'Lord, come down before my child dies.' Jesus told him, 'Go, your son lives.' And the man believed in the word which Jesus had spoken to him, and he went.' 1 Question 2 Gregory asks the same thing regarding this ruler, whether he believed or not. 2 It seems that he did not, 1 Because the Lord admonished him with, 'Unless you shall see signs and prodigies, you shall not believe.' 2 According to what is written it is asserted that he entreated Him to come down, as if unless He was present He could not heal. But against this, if he did not believe why did he ask the Lord to heal his son? I answer that it must be said that he did believe but not fully. He believed that the power of Christ could heal his son, but he did not believe in the Divinity in Him by which He was able to be everywhere. Hence there was faith when he sought healing, but a lack of faith because he sought bodily presence. Question 3 Gregory asks the same question, why did the Lord offer to go to the servant of the centurion 3 but when he was asked to go to the son of the ruler he refused? I answer that it must be said that this was for the edification of faith and morals. Faith because when He offered Himself to the centurion He manifested the devotion of his faith to us, and when He held Himself back from the son of the ruler and cured him in His absence, He signified His Divinity. And to edify morals in that we should suppress our pride, we who admire great men and scorn little men, for the Lord offered Himself to the centurion's servant and refused to go to a ruler's son. Saint Bonaventura, Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint John, Chapter 4 1 Jn 4.46-50 2 Homilies on Gospels 2.28.1 3 Homilies on Gospels 2.28.2, Lk 7.1-10