Don't Tell Anyone

     I'm reading another book I've read before: The Divine Conspiracy: Discovering Our Hidden Life in God, by the late Dallas Willard. I was challenged yesterday to simply read the red-letters, the words of Jesus. I decided to start in the short book of Mark. I didn't get very far. I spent yesterday writing about "REPENT AND BELIEVE," and what it really means. 
      Today I went further into the first chapter. I got to the story of Jesus and a leper. The man had amazing faith to even approach Jesus, and he said, "If you are willing..." to which Jesus replied, "I am willing." Then Jesus TOUCHED A LEPER!
      Unthinkable, unbelievable. Jesus just didn't follow those religious rules. Jesus would now be considered unclean. Take a minute and imagine what that would mean to His religious community.
      But it's verse 44, just the first sentence, where I got stopped today. Jesus told the man, "DON'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT THIS."
      Huge crowds would soon begin following Jesus, and He would be hindered in His teaching ministry. It would be a struggle to go where He needed to go.
      Is it possible some followers have taken these words of Jesus to heart?
"Don't tell anyone..." Is this why we never talk about Jesus, and how He can bring joy and freedom, peace and hope in this difficult world?  I doubt it, because I'm not sure we remembered it was in there!
      Reading the red-letter words of Jesus is going to be an amazing challenge!
Join me!