daily java

Daily Java:

Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”  (Mark 7:36-37)

Several times in his ministry Jesus told people not to tell anyone what he had done. But why would he do this?

Some have said that he told people not to tell because he knew that would make them tell more. But if this were true, he would be lying to those he talked to and 1 Peter 2:22 says He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. So that couldn’t be it.

I really believe Jesus was trying to keep a lid of sorts on his healing. After all, healing was not why he came to this earth. Luke 19:10 says For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. He didn’t come to heal our bodies, he came to heal our souls.

In Luke 5, he forgave a paralytic his sins knowing full well those who were listening would get mad. So he asked which was easier: forgiving (which no one can see) or healing (which everyone can see). Of course, the healing is harder because it is visible. Then he said, But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them (Luke 5:24-25).

Jesus healed to authenticate, not to heal as such. But when he healed he wanted people to listen to him, not come for the sideshow. Which really it turned into. Great crowds of people followed him waiting for the healing, or to get fed or whatever. And there were times (like John 6) that he  turned to them and said something so outrageous that they left.

We forget that, although Jesus was divine in origin, he was also human in nature (Philippians 2:5-9). He did not know everything. If he did, he wasn’t human like us (Hebrews 4:15) and if he was not like us, the whole thing was a sham.

It is easy for healing to turn into a sideshow. Witness some of the “faith healers” that travel around today. Fancy suits, opulent surroundings, little tricks like blowing on people – a sideshow. But what is odd to me is that the power of God is still sometimes – sometimes – there. Not always.

Many have degenerated into group hysteria and I do not think anything of  consequence comes from them.

But God still works. I watched a movie about a “faith healer” who was a huckster with a show designed to separate people from their money. But one day a child, afflicted with a very obvious problem, was healed. And the power of God scared the man so badly that he left, just ran away.

God still heals. He has healed through my hands and I have seen it in others. But he does not heal to heal, he heals to bring us to him. otherwise he could just wave his hand and disease would be gone.

Whatever the reason for Jesus telling them not to tell others, it didn’t work. You cannot hide the power of God for long. People are going to see it. And when they do, they will either accept it or reject it. But they cannot ignore it.