Read Mark 1:43-45 (quoted at the end of the blog)
In these verses there are two interesting statements which are very exceptional and unusual in the United Kingdom in the 21st Century. 1. Someone is too eager to tell everyone about what the change in his life - "he began to announce it publicly and spread the story widely." 2. Jesus' popularity is causing problems - "Still they kept coming to him from everywhere."
It sounds strange to read the command which Jesus gave to this leper who had just been cleansed. Remember that this was a unique occasion - no leper had ever been cleansed in his society. He was thrilled and elated and he wanted to tell all the incredulous Galileans about the transformation in his life. But Jesus told him to follow the law of Moses and to report his cleansing to the priest and to follow the required procedures. But apart from that, he was strictly instructed to tell no one. But he did exactly the opposite. He told everyone he met. I can imagine the scene - folk would have been recoiling from him expecting to see the visible signs of a disease that they were desperate to avoid and instead they see a man who is completely healed. So this young follower of Jesus disobeyed his master - blinded by his exuberance and zeal.
I don't want us to take the lesson that we should not tell others about our conversion. As Christians we have been commanded to go into all the world and spread the message of good news (Mark 16:15-18). The instruction is slightly different in Mark's Gospel where it specifies that we are to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20) which would imply going further than just seeing people start on the Christian pathway. This great commission applies to us in 2022 just as much as in the year 30 AD. What are we to make of Jesus' command to this leprous man? There are times when we should refrain from public proclamation of our faith. I know that Christians in North Korea, for example, would be put in prison or even killed for proclaiming the gospel publicly as it is seen as subversive to the state. The same would apply to many Muslim countries. Great wisdom is required in this matter. I have always had to overcome a reluctance on my part to evangelise and there were times when I should have told others about my faith and did not do so. Thankfully, there were times when I was given the strength to speak out and I have even heard that my feeble efforts to confess the name of Jesus at school had an impact on others in my class at school. We do need to obey Jesus Christ first and foremost. This young man was not doing that - his zeal is understandable but it was misguided. But please do not interpret these verses as a general excuse to avoid telling others about what Jesus has done for us.
Why did Jesus prohibit publicity on this occasion? We need to bear in mind that Jesus knew the hearts of all those living in that area. He knew that many would seek him for the wrong reasons - for instant healing or for relief from pain. These are all legitimate but Jesus came to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God and it may be that he perceived that the excessive publicity would be a distraction and a diversion from his main purpose.
There are occasions when people come to church for the wrong reason. In Bethany Hall, Stevenston there was no charge for going on a Sunday School trip or attending the Sunday School social or soirée as some people called it totally unaware that they were using a French word. Both of these events were well fed events with hot pies and plenty of cakes and chocolate biscuits. So the Sunday School had a sudden increase in attendance just prior to both these freebies. People flocked to Jesus to have a free meal after the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000.
Sadly, there is no evidence of an increase in the popularity of the Gospel message in the 21st Century. There are many friends who view pictures on Facebook related to Day Share and even watch some of the videos but they avoid the blogs because they are too much like going to church. All the signs are of a decline in respect for Christianity in the postmodern world. In the church I attended in Stevenston, I was one of the regular contributors to the Friday morning coffee morning which was well attended by women from the town. I observed that most of them belonged to the generation who attended Sunday School as a matter of course. They were not opposed to the short Gospel address we gave for 10 to 15 minutes each week. Sadly, that generation is dying out and being replaced by a younger age group who have deliberately avoided involvement in church. Most churches in our area are poorly attended and have a high proportion of senior citizens.
While we have the opportunity, we should continue to witness to others about Jesus. We can speak from experience about what he has done for us and what he means to us. The time may come when this will be made illegal and we will need to have another approach. I used the word Christmas openly every day in Facebook for the most of December. This word may be removed from our vocabulary in a politically correct world and replaced with winter festival or something less overtly Christian. We will need wisdom in how we adapt to the varied political and cultural landscape. In the meantime, we are free to evangelise and so we should do so.
Immediately Jesus sent the man away with a very strong warning. He told him, “See that you do not say anything to anyone, but go, show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” But as the man went out he began to announce it publicly and spread the story widely, so that Jesus was no longer able to enter any town openly but stayed outside in remote places. Still they kept coming to him from everywhere.
Mark 1:43-45 NET
[Photo by Kristina Flour on Unsplash.]
I think you are right about timing. He was going to the cross. He was going to be rejected by His own. After His resurrection His followers would proclaim the word of the Messiah. There were many Jews who would have liked to overthrow the Romans but that was not why Jesus came.
Partly reason is clear in text that by this being public Jesus was now seen as 'unclean' and could not go into towns as freely. Also, although 72 went out in healing and exorcism ministry, the declaration of Christ as Messiah was for after His Resurrection and Ascension mainly, although not completely.