Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. (Mark 7:36)In today's reading there are four occasions when people are warned not to tell their Jesus experience: when Jesus healed the blind man (8:26), upon Peter's confession of Christ (8:30), and after the transfiguration (9:9). But the first time was in the Decapolis, a primarily Gentile province in present day Jordan.
A deaf and mute man is brought to Jesus. Jesus speaks the command, Ephphatha [be opened], and immediately the man can hear and speak. But he and his friends are ordered by Jesus to tell no one. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it (v. 36).
In 25 years of being a pastor, I have never had to warn people not to tell their friends about Jesus. I have never made the request, Please don't invite your neighbors to church. Generally speaking, 21st century American Christians find this command the easiest to obey: Tell no one. In Sunday School we talk about the Great Commission, but in real life we don't talk about Jesus much at all.
It was the people who experienced Christ in a profound way who had to be restrained from telling what they knew about Jesus. Remember the man who had been born blind? All that I know is that I used to be blind, but now I can see! (John 9:25) Those whose lives have been changed by Christ will not keep silent.
Have you talked about Jesus this week?
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