About twenty miles from Cana was the city of Capernaum, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. At Capernaum was living a man of high rank, an official of King Herod Antipas. This nobleman was in deep trouble, for his son was very ill with a great fever and lying at the point of death. The news that Jesus was again in Galilee, and only twenty miles away, brought to the nobleman a hope that perhaps this Prophet might be willing to come down from Cana to Capernaum and cure his son. [Illustration: In the court of a village home in Cana of Galilee] At once he made up his mind to go to Jesus and ask him to come and help him. It was a hard journey from Capernaum to Cana, twenty miles of mountain climbing; but this anxious father started very early in the morning, and came to Cana at about one o'clock in the afternoon. He found Jesus, told him how ill his son was, and begged him to come to Capernaum and cure him. Jesus did not seem very willing to go. He said to the nobleman: [Illustration: Site of Capernaum] "Unless you people are always seeing me do wonderful works you will not believe in me." "Oh, sir," pleaded the troubled father, "do come down quickly or my son will die!" "There is no need for me to come," said Jesus. "You may go home, for your son will live and will get well." These words would make a heavy trial to this man's faith in Jesus. For how could he know that his son would be well, without any sign given him by Jesus? And how could he understand that Jesus by a word could cure someone who he had not seen and who was twenty miles away? But the father at once believed the promise of Jesus. He did not even hurry home to see if his boy was cured, but waited until evening before starting upon his journey. The next day, as he was nearing home, his servants met him with the glad news: "Your son is living and is very much better." "At what time," said the nobleman, "did he begin to improve?" "It was yesterday," they told him, "at about one o'clock when the fever left him." The man was not surprised, for it was just as he had expected. That hour, one o'clock, was the very time that Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." This miracle, or work of wonder, was much talked about and led not only this nobleman, but all his family with him, to believe that Jesus was the Saviour and the King of Israel who had been promised so long. The Carpenter in His Home-town CHAPTER 22