Letting Jesus down. (Luke 5:14-16)

This is the weirdest thing.  Jesus heals a man and then warns the man not to tell anyone! 

Mark 1:43-45 43 After sternly warning the man whom he had healed, Jesus sent him away at once, 44 saying to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." 45 But the man went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.


Jesus knows the man isn't going to keep the secret.  And by not keeping the secret, Jesus' life is going to become a lot harder.  He won't be able to go into town openly - he will have to stay in places where crowds can gather - he will have to struggle to find time and quiet places to get alone to pray.   The man's loose tongue changes Jesus' whole ministry plan. 

Yet, Jesus heals him anyway!  He didn't have to.  He chose to.

You know... I find this true in my own life.  Jesus transforms me - my thoughts, my desires, my actions - even my physical body.  He does it even though he knows that I am still going to fall back into my old ways of living and let him down.  Yet, he does it anyway!!!  He heaps grace and mercy upon me filling me up again after I fail!!  And it just makes me want to serve him all the more... giving up my thoughts, desires, and actions - letting him turn them into his mature and faithful child! 

Let God heap his grace and mercy on you this day!  He knows you will mess up again sometime.  We all do.  But just keep accepting it and letting it transform you more deeply!

**** Other gospel accounts of this story...


Luke 5:14-16 ¹⁴ And Jesus ordered the man with leprosy whom he had healed to tell no one. "Go," he said, "and show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them." ¹⁵ But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. ¹⁶ But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.

Matthew 8:4 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."