Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
While shopping at Ace Hardware right before Christmas my 3 year old son, Owen, saw something he wanted to get for his dad for Christmas. He was so excited to get him a present and for it to be a surprise, that I bought it. I told him on the drive home how we should not tell daddy what it is until Christmas morning. I instructed him that we would take it home, wrap it and keep it a secret until it was time to open presents. He was on board with the plan and repeated it back to me. We arrived home, got out of the car and walked in the house when I immediately hear, “Daddy, we got you a red flashlight for Christmas! But you can’t have it until Christmas morning!” So much for subtlety and surprise. I feel like Christ must have felt in some ways like he was talking to a 3 year old when he instructed this man, “See that you tell no one anything” and then saw the results of this man telling everyone he knew.
Much like Owen I imagine that this man did not understand why he should keep this quiet, why he should tell no one and why Christ wanted this to be kept subtle. Owen had personally picked out a gift for the man he loves most in this world. Why would he not tell him? This man had been healed! His life was changed, and Jesus was responsible. How could he not tell everyone what had happened? What a joyous and momentous occasion. I don’t think this man was full of any ill-will or was willfully choosing to disobey Christ when telling others; he simply could not contain his excitement at being healed.
But Christ had other intentions. He wanted to be able to live among the people, to be an example, to share in people’s lives, without his name preceding him as the miracle worker. As a result of this publicity we hear that Christ could not enter a town and had to stay in outside, deserted places. There are times where I think it is important to tout the wonders of Christ’s love and to tell of the miracles that Christ has brought to our own lives. But there are also times, where we should follow Christ’s example here. There are times where it is more prudent to simply live out the miracle, living as a witness. There are certain people we meet, where we will have a much greater impact by living as a witness, not suppressing our love for Christ, but acting on it rather than preaching it. Then, once the connection has been made, we are able to talk about the source of our love, Jesus.
I love the quote from St. Francis of Assisi to “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." Our first priority is to live as Christ teaches us. Then, when we have shown this love, we are to speak of the one who has taught us to love.
If you were this leper, healed by Christ, would you be able to keep quiet? Would Christ want you to? Who is God asking you to be a quiet witness to? Who is God asking you to proclaim his goodness and his grace to? What’s your red flashlight? What gift has God given you that you simply cannot stop from telling the world about?
- Amanda Grimm