154. I’m not very sure why Jesus instructs people in the New Testament not to tell anyone about Him. I mean, I get it when He’s talking to a demon. I wouldn’t want a demon telling people about me, either. It’s a “consider the source” type of thing then.
But what about when He heals people? What about the deaf man who spoke with difficulty in Mark 7:32? He healed him and the man could hear and speak plainly. “And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it” (verse 36).
I’m not sure what separates these circumstances from having beautiful feet bringing good news of good things (see Isaiah 52:7/Romans 10:15 for reference). I want to be clear that I’m not arguing or doubting here — it’s just a question that I have, a point of understanding I’m waiting to receive. I can’t think of a time in Scripture when God or Jesus instructed man to do the opposite of what He actually wanted, counting on man’s disobedience to yield the desired results. He is holy and calls us to be holy as well (1 Peter 1:15).
Let’s noodle on this. Just for fun, who else is always being told, “Don’t tell”?
Ten points if you said, “Writers.”
155. That oldest and most clichéd pearl of writing wisdom is and always has been, “Show, don’t tell.” Don’t editorialize about how good the hero is. Put him into action doing something heroic.
When that deaf man went back to the people who knew him, they would plainly see the difference Jesus made in his life, whether he told them or not. Maybe Jesus’ instructions to people He healed were essentially acknowledgements that talk is cheap. Backing up in the passage in Mark, I find Jesus rebuking the Pharisees by saying, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men'” (Mark 7:6-7).
What good is a faith that doesn’t make a difference? James 2:18 says, “But someone may well say, ‘You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you may faith by my works.'” Where Jesus has been at work, it shows. People will see the difference.
