“See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest…”
Mark 1:44a
In Mark 1, a man with leprosy comes to Jesus and is healed. Jesus gave the healed man two assignments: one do not and one do.
First he said, “Sssshhhhh….don’t tell!” Jesus asked the man to tell no one about the miraculous healing.
Jesus wanted the focus to be on His teaching. He came to share the good news – to demonstrate He was the living Word, the Son of God. Note how Jesus responded just a few verses earlier when Peter and the others interrupted Him,
“Let us go somewhere else–to the nearby villages–so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”
Instead, Jesus instructed the man to go to the priest to comply with the Old Testament commands. Leviticus laid out the rules about being declared clean after being healed from leprosy. Jesus affirmed the Old Testament with this command.
A second reason he offered was to be a testimony to the priests. He wanted the Jewish priests to know He was the Son of God. This man was blessed with the assignment to be a testimony to the religious leaders.
But he disobeyed. Mark 1:45a says, “Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news…”
It’s hard for us to criticize this man. He had some good news and he wanted to share it! Isn’t it interesting to compare and contrast the assignment Jesus gave to this man and the assignment Jesus left this with us in the great commission:
- The healed leper was told to tell no one and he told everyone.
- We are told to tell everyone and often we choose to tell no one!
Is it just our human nature to walk in disobedience? Should we not be as joyful as the man healed from leprosy physically…to know we walk in spiritual healing for all of eternity?
Obedience can be difficult. But I believe God blesses us when we obey Him.
What area of obedience is hard for you? Where is God telling you to do something and you are holding back…procrastinating…or worse yet…doing the exact opposite?
With whom has God told you to share the good news? Are you praying for a specific person who needs to know Jesus – looking for and praying for an opportunity?
We need to also note that disobedience has consequences not only to ourselves, but also to others:
- In this situation, the priest missed out on hearing the testimony.
- The healed man missed out on being the one to share the testimony with the priest.
- And also – Jesus redirected his ministry to lonely places so as not to draw so much attention from those who wanted to see the “carnival” (for want of a better word!)
Being quiet was a hard thing for this man.
What area of obedience is hard for you?
Let’s ask God to enable us to do a hard thing this week.
{ If you are studying through Mark with us, please read Mark 1:40-2:12 this week. Here is the recorded teaching lecture on this passage: http://fbcsiloam.podbean.com/2013/09/19/ladies-bible-study-mark-140-212-laura-macfarlan-9-19-13/ }
