Jesus would often heal people or perform miracles and strictly tell people not to tell others. At other times, he would tell them to announce and declare all that happened to entire cities.
I’ve often wondered why and how he chose to conceal some things, and reveal other things.
After reading Mark chapter 5, I have a better grasp on this.
Jesus heals a man with a “legion” of demons in the area of the Decapolis, a place somewhat removed from the political centers of Israel. The Decapolis was filled with Jewish and Gentile people, but they didn’t pose a threat of misunderstanding Jesus as a military or political messiah, unlike places such as Jerusalem. In a place like this, or Samaria, Jesus could tell people, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (v.19).
The next episode in Mark’s narrative deals with people who are directly tied to the synagogue (Jairus). He revives Jairus’ daughter and “strictly charged them that no one should know this” (v.43). I think the reason Jesus does this is to prevent episodes like those in John 6, where he feeds the five thousand. After seeing that Jesus had done this, “they were about to come and take him by force to make him king” (John 6:15) and Jesus had to withdraw to a solitary place. When people misunderstand Jesus’ identity and purpose, they want him to fulfill certain things that he himself never meant to fulfill.
After Jesus heals the man with many demons, he tells him in verse 19 to tell his friends how much God has done for him and to tell people about the mercy he has received from the Lord. This simple declaration is what Jesus desires from those who have been changed; “the Lord has done something amazing in my life! He has had great mercy upon me.” Even when he cleanses a leper in Galilee, he tells him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them” (Mark 1:44). His intention here is for the religious leaders to see the mercy of the Lord, and proof that God’s kingdom is indeed at hand.
Jesus is out to fulfill the agenda of the Father, not the agendas that men want the Christ to fulfill. As I reflect on this today, do I find myself in awe of the Savior, simply telling others what he has done for me and the mercy I have found in his great love? Or do I find myself seeking the Christ to fulfill certain agendas in my own life, because of his great power and authority?
