Thursday, January 9, 2020

Inviting others to know God

"Then Jesus ordered the leper not to tell anyone." Lk 5:14

Sometimes I find myself seriously disagreeing with Jesus. Today he tells the leper who he just cured not to tell anyone about his cure, and especially not to tell others that Jesus cured him. What is this so called "Lucan secret" all about? Aren't we supposed to tell others about Jesus? Aren't we supposed to witness to his transforming power alive in us?

Jesus, like the other most powerful spiritual teachers in human history, does not want the focus on himself, but of the wonderful and wondrous power of God. If the leper speaks too much about Jesus' ability to heal and cure, some people will search for him for the wrong reasons. The sick won't care about his message because they want only to be free of illness, and those in authority might feel threatened and attack him without listening to the fullness of his message.

Speaking about Jesus as a miracle worker without following his lead in responding to those most in need will do little to help transform the world. Our task is to be living invitations to encounter the living God.

Today, ask God for the strength to decrease, while God increases.

What is the essence of the Good News as you hear it and experience it?

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