"And have they turned up answers to any of life’s big mysteries?’’ ‘‘ They have.’’ ‘‘ Then why not share their answers with the world?’’ Morgan gave a sad smile. ‘‘It is easier to learn about the world than try to save it, is it not?’’"
from "Relentless (Dominion Trilogy Book #1)" by Robin Parrish
Unfortunately, Morgan's answer is one that many would agree with.
Too many.
But not all. Fortunately.
The Man With Leprosy (Matthew)
8:2-4 pp — Mk 1:40-44; Lk 5:12-14
Mt 8:1 When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Mt 8:3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
A Man With Leprosy (Mark)
1:40-44 pp — Mt 8:2-4; Lk 5:12-14
Mk 1:40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Mk 1:41 Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
Mk 1:43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
The Man With Leprosy (Luke)
5:12-14 pp — Mt 8:2-4; Mk 1:40-44
Lk 5:12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Lk 5:13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
Lk 5:14 Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
Lk 5:15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
You may not have really paid attention to the line immediately under the section headings in the Bible.
This set of verses is an excellent example of why it's important to not only pay attention to them -
but to read them!
Each of the authors of the Gospels had their own reasons for writing what they did - and each had their own target audience. As people usually do, they also noticed and / or focused on different things while retelling the events.
Notice -
- All three of them included the part about Jesus saying "I am willing" and "Be clean!".
- All three also included a warning not to tell others, along with the statement - “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
- However -
- Matthew stopped there. He said no more about what happened afterwards - when the people talked anyway.
- Mark and Luke both spoke to the fact that, in spite of the warning to not talk about it, word got out about what happened anyway.
"It is easier to learn about the world than try to save it, is it not?"
Apparently not.
This person - healed by Jesus - couldn't resist telling people about it!
Even though it was Jesus Himself that told the man to not tell anyone - just to show himself to the priest and make an offering as was required by the law. No more - no less.
But the man talked. Apparently quite a bit.
Had we just stopped reading at Matthew, we wouldn't know this.
Had we read Matthew first, then skipped over the incident when we got to Mark and Luke - thinking we already read it and know what happens - we would have missed something very important. Being healed by Jesus and staying quite about it apparently are two things that just don't go together.
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