“Shhh…. don’t tell…”

I've always been boggled and wondered about when Jesus asked those he's healed not to share or tell anyone what happened. We see in Matthew 9:27-31 in the account of the two blind men that Jesus healed them and then asked, "See that no one knows about it." (9:30). But they still went and told others anyways. This seems to be a significant pattern of Jesus- asking those he's healed not to share about it. (Mark 1:41-45; Luke 8:56). Each Gospel writer recorded events like this. Here are the options:

1- Was it that Jesus had to move his ministry further out into the desert regions?

2- Was He using reverse psychology to get them to share what he'd done? 

3- Did He really not want anyone to know that He was doing miracles?

After digging, this is the answer that I've concluded with.

Jesus's purpose was to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven. He wanted to share about this Upside Down Kingdom with a King who would sacrifice Himself to save the entire world. He wanted to share what this Kingdom where the poor are blessed looked like. When He performed miracles, He worried that people would focus and want only those things- not the Good News. And when reading through the Gospels, I realize that I am no better... I want to see the miracles of Jesus. It's only lately (the last few years or so) that I LONG to hear his messages, from his own voice and emotion. Jesus knew these people would only focus on miracles, not His Message.

1- HIS MESSAGE

HE was sent to preach the Message. Luke 4:18 talks of this when Jesus quotes Isaiah about Himself, saying, "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel." If his healing was advertised and gossiped about around the region, it would hinder his teachings (Mark 1:45). People would ONLY come for the healing.

2- REST

When the crowds began to pursue Him for healing and nourishment (the food kind), Jesus struggled to find rest. We even read about Him falling asleep in the hull of a boat IN THE MIDDLE OF A VIOLENT SQUAL while the boat began to SINK (Mark 4:36-38). This poor Son of God was EXHAUSTED. He regularly escaped the crowds to find rest and times of prayer. The news of His miracles had spread so much it was now hindering His primary purpose- preaching the Gospel.

When researching this, I found a good quote from Elizabeth Scalia. She said,

"All he wanted, though, was to be able to walk openly among the people he meant to redeem, and to not be forced to remain outside, away from us. But perhaps the more important point is this: the need for secrecy is past. Let us bring Jesus openly into our cities and towns and families, telling what he has done for us."

 Both of these reasons convicted me.

First off, how often have I cried out to Jesus for healing of some sort? Whether it’s a relationship that needs healing, my body failing me, or a friend dealing with severe darkness. How often, instead of running to the Gospel (the GOOD NEWS!), have I instead cried out for healing instead? When we can find healing within the message of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Jesus spoke in Matthew 5:3-6,

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

 The Kingdom is full of hurting people who have found a King and Savior. Perhaps we should lean into the Gospel message first when we desire healing.

And second, Jesus tried his best to prioritize rest. He put this ahead of impromptu teachings and healings as much as He could. What does that say about my priority for rest? Do I regularly say “no” to teaching engagements even when my body is rocked to the core with exhaustion from Hashimoto’s Disease? Or do I push through and say, “yes!” (I hate to admit that the latter seems to win out more often.) How often do you allow others’ expectations to set aside rest?

So, ask yourself these questions:

How often do I run to the Good News that Jesus preached instead of just asking for healing?

How often do I set aside rest?

How can I follow Jesus’ example today?