What would you do?

During my quiet time this morning I was reading in Matthew and I started to think about the various people whom Jesus healed. Well, not just those whom He healed. A couple of instances in the gospels where Jesus heals some and then tells them to not tell any one! Could you imagine having leprosy and being essentially an outcast and cast down to the lowest tier of society - if one could even still be considered a part of society. Then you meet the Master and He not only has compassion, but actually touches you! But then His touch heals you of the very disease/condition which has sent you to this lowly state. Let's not touch on those whom did not give thanks, but what Jesus tells them. Go and show yourself to the priests and present gifts as required by the law... and don't tell anyone! And this was not just the man/men with leprosy... this morning I read about the blind man. It got me to thinking some this morning. We as Christians are proud when our Lord performs even the smallest of miracles in our lives. And we should be because each is an example of our God's extravagent grace. But I wonder if there are times when He would want us to be silent about them... I cannot think of an example in my own life right now where this might be true, but I am wondering... And on another note, but similar theme... how about those whom Jesus interacted with. Some He healed, others He taught - and they were so affected that they wanted to follow Him. In at least two occasions (and the exact references are escaping me right now) Jesus turned them aside (note: not away, but essentially He said 'no'). !!! For me personally that would crush me. But note Jesus never said that He was not to be 'followed' - that is He is not whim they thought He was. Just that they were not to follow Him around the countryside. I have heard it taught, and I think I agree, that the reason is that those whom Jesus turned aside, and those whom He healed essentially planted seeds for what would follow. That after Jesus was crucified and His disciples forced to scatter the word of Jesus, and the witnesses of the events that they would later testify about, would already be there. What a lot of critics seem to miss is that if Jesus was not who he said He was, when His disciples showed up and began to preach about Him there would be a multitude of people that would have contradicted, or at the very least no one to testify what they were saying was true or not. Well, my thoughts are beginning to scramble. It's given me things to think about for today. I hope it has spoken to you as well. Perhaps the Lord will speak to you about such things, or perhaps the Lord has something for me through you? I want to always encourage those who stumble across this blog to post comments. Verse for today: Matthew 8:5-13, esv When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, [1] ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel [2] have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment. (Personal note: I often feel as this centurian. Oh how I long to follow after Jesus, but feel so unworthy to even come and ask Him for anything. But what an encouragement when Jesus talks about those coming from the East and West to sit at His table...)