The Messiah Mystery
A leper came to Jesus, knelt before him, and begged to be healed. Jesus the Messiah, deeply moved, reached out his hand in compassion, touched him, and said, "Be healed." Immediately the leprosy disappeared; the man's skin became clean and healthy. Jesus sent him away, but not before emphatically instructing him, "Tell no one about this! Offer the sacrifice that Moses prescribed for the healing of leprosy, and show yourself to the priests. Only then will your healing be officially recognized." But as soon as the man was out of earshot, he spread the word of his healing. Thus, the whole city learned of it. Therefore, Jesus had to stay away from public places and could no longer move freely in the city, since he had touched a leper (according to...). Mk 1,44-45).
Why didn't Jesus want the healed leper to tell others about his healing? He also didn't allow the demons to speak, because they knew who he was: "And he healed many who had various diseases and cast out many demons, and would not let the demons speak, because they knew him." (Mk 1,34).
Jesus asked his disciples, “And you,” Jesus asked, “who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah!” Then Jesus warned them not to tell anyone. (Mk 8,29-30).
But why didn’t Jesus want his disciples to tell others that he was the Messiah? At that time, Jesus was the incarnated Savior, performing miracles and preaching throughout the land. So why wasn't it the right time for his disciples to lead the people to him and reveal to them who he was? Jesus emphasized clearly and emphatically that who he was should not be revealed to anyone. Jesus knew something that neither the general public nor his disciples knew.
The Gospel of Mark recounts that towards the end of his earthly ministry, in the week before his crucifixion, the people rejoiced when they recognized Jesus as the Messiah: “Many spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread green branches they had cut from the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!’” (Mk 11,8-10).
The problem was that the people imagined a different Messiah and had different expectations of him. They expected a king who would unite the people, lead them to victory over the Roman occupiers with God's blessing and restore the kingdom of David to its former glory. Their image of the Messiah was fundamentally different from the image of God. Therefore, Jesus did not want his disciples or those he healed to spread the message about him too soon. The time had not yet come for people to hear them. The right time for their dissemination was to come only after His crucifixion and resurrection from the dead. Only then could the wonderful truth that Israel's Messiah is the Son of God and the Savior of the world be understood in its full magnitude.
by Joseph Tkach
More articles about the Messiah:
The pastoral story
Who is Jesus Christ
