Word to the Wise
Thursday, January 12, 2017 - Thursday in the 1st Week in Ordinary Time
[Heb 3:7-14 and Mark 1:40-45]Then [Jesus] said to him, "See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them" The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere. [Mark]
There's an old expression: "No good deed goes unpunished." We see that over and over again in Jesus' ministry. He heals and then tells the healed person not to tell anyone. Of course, in that culture it would be nearly impossible to avoid telling others, especially the family members who have had to avoid the leper! So, fame begins to haunt Jesus. Scripture scholars have referred to Jesus' wishes in this gospel as "the Marcan secret." Yet, the old expression applies. If the religious or secular authorities get the wrong idea (as they did eventually) Jesus' ministry would have been shut down definitively just like John the Baptist's ministry was.
The aim in Jesus' ministry is to spread the word that God has kept the covenant and Jesus is the expression of that fidelity. Our challenge is to share that "good news." We can count on all kinds of reactions to our efforts. A simple act that has a big impact can result in others expecting similar things despite our disclaimers to any "special" powers. Others may dismiss our efforts as religious superstition or scams. The leper couldn't contain his enthusiasm and spread the word. Perhaps we can learn a lesson from him. What has Jesus done for us that we can share. Why are we keeping it a secret? AMEN
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