Tell them
Day 537, Friday, Jan. 30
Mark 5:1-43
There are three freedom stories in today’s reading: the man possessed by a legion of impure spirits, the daughter of the synagogue official and the woman with bleeding. One is an exorcism, one is a resurrection, and one is a healing, but all of them bring freedom from bondage.
One of the ways they differ is that after Jesus frees the person from bondage, he gives them different instructions on what they should say to others about it.
After the healing of the official’s daughter, “He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this.” After the healing of the possessed man, Jesus denied the man’s request to follow him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” When the woman is healed from her bleeding, he simply tells her, “Go in peace and be free from your suffering.”
The raising of the official’s daughter isn’t the only time that Jesus tells the subjects of his miracles to not spread the word. We assume this is to give him more opportunities to teach and heal before he attracts so much attention that it interferes with his ministry.
But the longer he continues in his ministry, the more he seems to allow or even instruct people to tell of his deeds.
In the case of the possessed man, we see that not everyone who is called to witness to Jesus is called to travel or to go to strangers. Jesus tells the man to “Go home to your own people” to spread the good news.
We sometimes think of evangelism—spreading God’s good news—as a New Testament innovation, but it’s not. In today’s meditation from the Psalms we read, “My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long.
-Rev. Mark Fleming
Friday meditation
Psalms 71:14-24
As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.
My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long—though I know not how to relate them all. I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone. Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.
Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things. Who is like you, God? Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once more.
I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you—I whom you have delivered. My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.
Prayer focus
Lord, let us proclaim your righteous deeds and your saving acts all day long, to all who will listen.