Mark 3:10-12
Have
you ever had to hire a Public Relations firm to speak on your behalf? What kind
of person would you want to represent you? Are there things you would not the
person to be like? Are there any positive traits you would like them to have?
What you might not know is that every person chosen to be the face of every
product is carefully chosen for specific qualities, qualities that the person
represented and the PR firm feel are important to the target audience.
Let
me throw a few ideas at you. How about using a pimply teenager, or someone with
a difficult to understand accent. Would they be OK? What about someone whose
face seemed much older than they really were or maybe a different race. OK?
What about someone already known by the audience, but whose personal life and
values are radically different from yours, and everyone knows it. Would that be
acceptable? How about someone who looks very dirty and unkempt. Or someone
morbidly obese. Acceptable to you?
Jesus
didn’t want certain individuals to speak on His behalf. The crowds are pushing
forward to touch Jesus in hopes of receiving healing. Among the people are some
who are possessed by demons. Jesus does not want them to speak on His behalf. He
wants to choose the timing of announcements of His true identity, and He wants
to choose who will reveal that information.
These
demon possessed individuals seem to act in specific ways when coming in contact
with Jesus. These possessed people can’t help but reveal His identity as the
Messiah. But Jesus tells, orders them to stop revealing who He is. He doesn’t
want a demonic spokesperson. He doesn’t want His message to get confused with
the message of the demons. He wants His message to come through vessels known
for oppression, disease, isolation, and just plain bad behavior.
Instead,
He chooses His disciples to be His spokesmen. He chooses people who are
transformed by the power of His person and His message.
He
has chosen you.