Notwithstanding all the evidence that Jesus was the Christ, the petitioner had determined to make his belief in Him conditional on the granting of his own request. The Saviour contrasted this questioning unbelief with the simple faith of the Samaritans, who asked for no miracle or sign. His word, the ever-present evidence of His divinity, had a convincing power that reached their hearts. Christ was pained that His own people, to whom the Sacred Oracles had been committed, should fail to hear the voice of God speaking to them in His Son.

På trods af alle beviser for, at Jesus var Kristus, havde den spørgende besluttet at gøre sin tro afhængig af, om han fik sin egen bøn opfyldt. Frelseren sammenlignede denne tvivlende vantro med samaritanernes enfoldige tro, der ikke havde bedt om noget under eller tegn. Hans ord, det altid nærværende vidnesbyrd om hans guddommelighed havde en overbevisende kraft, som nåede ind til deres hjerter. Kristus var bedrøvet over, at hans eget folk, som havde fået det hellige ord betroet, var ude af stand til at høre Guds røst, der talte til dem gennem hans Søn.