Shhhhhhh….it’s a Secret!
Read Mark 1:29-45
Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “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.” –Mark 1:43-44
On Sunday, I mentioned the “secrecy motif” of Mark’s Gospel. We’ve already seen it twice in this first chapter. When the “unclean spirits” told Jesus that they “knew who he was,” Jesus told them to be quiet. And now, after healing a man of his leprosy, Jesus warned him not to tell anyone about the source of his healing.
There were practical reasons for Jesus to desire this secrecy. Mark notes that, because the man with leprosy did not obey Jesus but instead told everyone he knew, Jesus’ fame grew until he could no longer move freely among the towns of Galilee. (Mark 1:45) He withdrew into the wilderness, and even there the crowds followed him in droves. It makes me think of the price that modern-day celebrities pay for their fame, that they can no longer move around in society without being accosted by strangers or having their pictures taken and displayed in the tabloids.
There was likely a spiritual dimension to Jesus’ desire for secrecy as well. As we noted yesterday, Jesus’ authority did not come from his popularity but from the mission His Father had given him. But that doesn’t mean it was not a temptation to put his identity in the approval and praise of others. Matthew and Luke’s gospels make this explicit—one of the temptations that Satan put before Jesus was to “throw himself down” from the temple in Jerusalem, so that everyone could see and marvel at God’s protection for him. If Jesus had come to depend on the fame and approval of the crowds that followed him, he would have transferred to them authority over his life and would have failed the mission his Father gave him.
Perhaps there’s one more way to understand Jesus’ desire for secrecy—he was modeling for us what it looks like to do good in the world. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus spends a good portion of his Sermon on the Mount warning against the public display of good deeds (Matthew 6:1-18). Those who perform their faith (giving, praying, fasting) in order to be seen by others “have already received their reward.” Instead, Jesus taught that we should practice our faith “in secret,” so that our Father “who sees in secret” will reward us.
As the best teachers do, Jesus practiced what he taught. He did not heal the leprous man so that others could see his power or marvel at his compassion. He was simply responding to the desperate request of a person in need. For the remainder of this day, pay attention to what motivates your own speech and actions. In particular, note the need we all feel to be seen by others. Recognize that this desire to be seen is not a bad thing—it was placed in us by a God who created us in love. But maybe we can remember that being seen by God is far more important than being seen by others. And when we live out our faith in simple, quiet ways—with God as the sole audience whose approval we seek—it brings God far more pleasure than when we blow our trumpets for others to see.
O God, You see the needs I hold in my secret self. You know my desire for attention and approval. Help me not to seek the attention and approval of others, but to trust that You are always attentive to my being. May your approval be my highest aim and honor. Amen.