Tattletale

Today's Scripture

We encounter something in today's Gospel called the Messianic Secret. After healing two blind men, Jesus warns them sternly: "see that no one knows about this." Then they go and tell everyone. I never considered that perhaps when instructing two blind men to 'see' that no one knows, you might expect less than stellar results. They had no idea how to 'see' anything.

When considering Jesus' desire to keep His identity a secret, we can rightfully think of the results when people find out: He is besieged by crowds (which happens) and the authorities, both Roman and Jewish might become alarmed at what He does and what that means about who He is. This is all very fascinating to contemplate, but today I want to focus on the action of the men who were healed and how bold they were to do it.

These men, suffering a lifelong malady, had just been miraculously cured by a man who was clearly more powerful than anyone they knew. That same man had just commanded them not to tell anyone. They owed Him a debt of gratitude and loyalty. Since His warning was stern, they might also have feared what would happen. What was undeniable though, was this: they had been changed in a way that others would clearly observe, and they would have to say something.

Against all reason, they blabbed that it was Jesus. The news was JUST TOO GOOD to keep to themselves. They weren't even sure of how bad the consequences for them could have been. Jesus gave them their sight, could He not take it away just as easily? Yes, and I think that is the point. People were going to observe the miracle no matter what. Those who knew them to be blind would certainly now know that they weren't. The real news was how; the real news was WHO.

What about us? Has anything amazing happened in our lives? Who gets the credit, and who do we tell about it. Are we reluctant, in certain circles, to give God the credit for the goodness in our lives? Are we more likely to claim credit for ourselves, our work ethic, our own savvy or smarts? Truth be told and I'm sure you have heard it here before: The source of all good things is God - period. Guess what - God is NOT telling you to keep that a secret. Go ahead, tell everyone. Give Him thanks at all times. I just had a moment of thanks for this computer that I am using, His gifts to many women and men allowed this to come about in ways that I can't even understand.

Go ahead, be a tattletale! Tell everyone who will listen how generous God has been to you, how you are grateful for the way you are made, for the way your spouse is made, for the blessing of family, friends, the amazing way He allows us to be 'co-creators' and design and build so many good things around us. Be grateful that our 'less desirable' qualities and actions can be forgiven, and we can grow in a better direction - because of Him. We have a Messiah, and it's not a secret any more.