THE SECRET

Thursday in the 1st Week in Ordinary Time
Mk 1:40-45

Jesus sternly ordered the man He cured from leprosy: “Mind you, say nothing to anyone….” His was a tall order. Thus, man went away, talking about his healing and telling the story everywhere. The result was that “Jesus could no longer openly into any town, but had to stay outside in places where nobody lived”. But the Gospel reports: “People from all around would come to Him.”

When something extraordinarily happy, good, and life changing happens to you, will you be quiet about it? Will you not find anyone to share the joy you cannot contain? Will you not tell people about your unexpected, unimaginable, unexplainable, undeserved, unbelievable experience? We cannot penalize the man miraculously healed from leprosy for spreading the news about Jesus.

But why did Jesus ordered the man not to tell anyone about the miracle?

The Markan Gospel has a great secret. It is called the Messianic secret. In the entire Gospel of Mark, Jesus seems to avoid being discovered as the Messiah. The disciples themselves appear like fools, not realizing that the Messiah Himself is in their company already in the person of Jesus. This is the case even as Mark records miracles after miracles of Jesus, all done in public. The true identity of Jesus remains a great secret throughout the Gospel of Mark until in Mk 15:39 a Roman centurion – notice, not even a Jewish disciple – says, “Truly this is the Son of God.”

The Messianic secret was meant to be known by faith alone, not admiration. Jesus wanted people to come to faith in Him, not to come to Him for miracles only. He needed disciples, not fanatics. He was concerned about the Kingdom of God, not about His fans club.

Let us be disciples of Jesus, not His fans. Let faith lead us to Him, not miracles. Focus our selves on Jesus; His Himself is the miracle. That is not a secret to us anymore.