Mark 1:40-45
Did
you ever want to keep something under wraps, quiet for the moment, secret? My
wife loves throwing surprise parties for people. She loves putting all the
details together and seeing the smiles when she pulls it off. It can be
difficult to get the word out without the news spilling over into the wrong
hands. You have to be crafty and sometimes deceitful, in the good sense, I
mean. Keeping things like this secret is not my strong suit, especially when I
am surprising her. I want to let her in on the surprise early. I can’t keep
secrets from her, a character fault.
We
read in our text about a man with a skin disease that kept him separated from
everyone else. He lived away from family and friends, and had to warn other
people of his presence. He comes to Jesus, a forbidden encounter, and wants
healing. And then Jesus gives him very specific instructions about his next
steps. The result of his disobedience marks a change in Jesus ministry. He must
stay away from cities and towns because too many people gather when He shows
up. If Jesus does want to visit a town, He must do it secretly, privately,
without prior notice.
We
can see what happens to famous people today. Everywhere they go they are
recognized. Paparazzi snap photos of them from a distance with telephoto
lenses. Private moments become tabloid headlines. A quiet day at the beach
becomes a critique of the suit chosen or the weight control program failure (or
success).
This
man wonders if he is worthy of Jesus’ favor or of Jesus’ willingness to heal
him. Something in his question isn’t quite right, but Jesus heals him anyway.
And then Jesus tells him to keep it quiet and perform the rituals prescribed in
the Old Testament in connection with the cleansing of these kinds of skin
diseases. This man does neither.
Sometimes
we just need to keep our mouths quiet. Some things don’t need to be spread, or
shouldn’t be spread. There is no place for gossip in the life of a
Jesus-follower. No place!