Do you see here that a man grateful to Jesus had opportunity to do exactly as Jesus said...
The three synoptic Gospels record the man and the direction he was given.
Mark 1:40-45 (NLT).
40 A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said. 41 Moved with compassion,[a] Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” 42 Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. 43 Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning: 44 “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy.[b] This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”45 But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn’t publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him
[a] 1:41 Some manuscripts read Moved with anger.
Luke 5:12-16 (NIV)
12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.14 Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Matthew 8:1-4 (NRSVUE)
When Jesus[a] had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him, 2 and there was a man with a skin disease who came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” 3 He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing. Be made clean!” Immediately his skin disease was cleansed. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them”.
How easy is it to obey what Jesus says?
Is it possible to know clearly what Jesus wants of us?
"Say nothing". It appears (so Mark and, possibly, Luke) there were undesirable consequences to Jesus from the man's independent action.
I note Mark's "stern" and the "but he" (= even so). The exultant man had an overwhelming experience. His healing meant he would be able to resume normal social life and become an ex-leper. His words may seem understandable enough but a more thoughtful way is best. It is not easy to grasp how the proclamation by one man of Jesus' action could have such a large impact. These were sensitive times; John the Baptiser had set the stage...
The man was to do just what his culture (religion) required of him. For those who lived under that system, there was a prescribed way to re-enter their society. Perhaps the man did actually comply with the Law on required ceremonial purification (see Leviticus 14)? I wonder how often a priest went out and conducted a cleansing? (BTW: today there is no certain knowledge of the identity of that "skin disease".)
"Don't tell". Did Jesus want him to just delay spreading his good news, or to limit it to answering questions as he went about his daily life including fulfilling the Law?
This pericope comes fairly early in the records. Was it possible that Jesus had a strategy for his campaign which aimed to see him in the villages and towns of the land? Now, he was unable to safely and reasonably follow such a plan. Surely Jesus did use "common sense" (which may not be so common).
Moving on from that time, considerably later, the three Synoptics record a contrasting encounter across the other side of the "Sea of Galilee" (Matthew 8, Mark 5, Luke 8). Here, another man did exactly as Jesus said.
The pericopes present some challenges to my understanding. The event includes the destruction of domesticated pigs ("many"; "a large herd"; for Mark, "about 2,000"). Matthew tells us two anguished and very violent men had been given up on by their community but Jesus overcame evil spirits and restored them. Mark and Luke record only this one man, perhaps because only one had the following clear interaction with Jesus. I presume the other man did not engage in this way:
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus[e] refused and said to him, “Go home to your own people, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and what mercy he has shown you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis* how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone was amazed (Mark 5:18-20 NRSVUE).
*the region near the ten cities known as Decapolis[a] (CEV).
I need to be careful about taking Jesus seriously. There are challenges and instincts hard to resolve which need prayer and, where possible, sharing with fellow strugglers.
Note: The alternative reading in Mark 1:41 has been a puzzle from ancient NT times.
No comments:
Post a Comment