Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 8 ERV, Ch. 9-10 WEB

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Thoughts

I always wondered why Jesus told some of the people he healed not to tell anyone. Have you wondered about that, too?

Here are a couple reasons that scholars have proposed:

1. Jesus knew that if word got out about his miracles, people would concentrate on the miracles and not pay as much attention to His message. As a matter of fact, we see that is exactly what happened in Mark’s gospel. In his excitement, the leper who was healed disobeyed Jesus’ command not to tell anyone. Because of that, Jesus had to move His ministry away from the city and into the desert. But the people still came to Him from everywhere. (Mark 1:45)
2. When Jesus healed the leper, in addition to telling him not telling anyone, Jesus told him also to go show himself to the priest, to confirm that he was clean, and also to offer a sacrifice, as the Law required. In telling the leper to go right away to the priest, this lessened the chance that someone might get the priest before the leper, and tell the priest that it was Jesus who “supposedly” did the healing, causing the priest to not certify the healing.

So, while miracles are wonderful, they are not the message. The message is the Good News that Jesus came to earth and lived a perfect, sinless life, so that He would be an acceptable sacrifice for me and for you, that we might be reconciled to God if we believe and accept this gift.