One of the strange features of the gospels is the way in which Jesus tells people to keep quiet after he helps them and not to tell others about his miraculous deeds. Matthew 8 is case in point. After Jesus cleanses the leper, he says, “See that you tell no one, but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded”. See that you tell no one. This is such a strange approach to building a kingdom or spreading a message. Any publicist or marketing firm would tell Jesus to do the opposite. If you want to spread your influence, get the report out about your powers. The more people that are amazed, the more people that will follow.
But this is not Jesus’ approach. He seeks obscurity. He prefers to work in silence and off the stage than before a crowd and under a spotlight.
Now, there are plenty of theories for why Jesus operated the way He did. I’m not interested in rehearsing them here or selecting one as most plausible. I want rather for us to recognise that Jesus’ character hasn’t changed over the last two thousand years. We ought to expect that in most cases the preferences and mannerisms of Jesus have stayed the same over time. If we want to discern what Jesus is doing now, there is no better place to look than the gospels. After all, the King seated at the right hand of glory is the same Jesus that long ago walked the dirt paths of Capernaum.
With this in mind, I think there is something we should learn from Jesus’ predilection for obscurity. It’s this: don’t expect Jesus to publicise his most amazing works. Jesus is not an influencer, and He’s not a celebrity. He has no interest in gathering a mere “following”. Jesus is after disciples, and growing disciples is a much more personal and involved work than is building a following.
This makes me think about the so-called “Quiet Revival”. I think my favourite aspect of this movement is the word “quiet”. I’ve always been a bit uncomfortable with some of the revivalism of the 19th and 20th centuries. Much of it happened in the wake of growing technology and media, which is to say in the wake of a lot of headlines and publicity. This strikes me as against the grain of Jesus’ methods. The Saviour I see in the gospels is one that likes to work with muffled feet in places where journalists aren’t working. This is why I find the word “quiet” so interesting. Nothing seems more likely than that, if Jesus wanted to do something unusual, he would do it quietly and in a way that is difficult for pundits to trace and reporters to follow.
Something else to reflect on from Jesus’ subtlety: One cause of religious doubt is the apparent discrepancy between the miracles of the gospels and the mundaneness of modern life. It’s not hard to begin to feel uncomfortable about the supernatural elements of the gospels when we live in a world that looks and feels as if it is immune to supernatural interference. We may wonder why we don’t read more headlines like those coming out of Galilee in Jesus’ time: “One Less Leper!” or “Another Demon Bites the Dust!”
When such doubts emerge we need to remember Jesus’ words “see that you tell no one”. Jesus’ preferred method is always to do his most amazing work with the least possible fanfare. Personally, I have no doubts that Jesus is still in the business of healing diseases and exorcising demons. And I’m not bothered in the least if none of the titillating reports of such deeds reaches my newsfeed. The Jesus I know has never been interested in the business of self-publicity. He does his work like a carpenter – behind the scenes and without notice. He never compromises his humility to advance his mission.
There is one more thing worth saying in reference to these ideas. If Jesus sought obscurity, should we not do the same? We live in a world that viciously competes for attention and publicity. Such interests are not spiritual. They smell more of vain-glory and envy than of faith and love. Jesus was serious when he said, “Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”. Far better is one smile of the Heavenly Father than one million views on YouTube or one thousand likes on social media.
Do we want to be like Jesus? Then let virtue be its own reward. Let’s do the task in front of us hoping that, if all goes well, no one will notice. If this is our attitude, we’ll be worthy apprentices of the great joiner of Nazareth.
By Joe Barnard