“When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him, and there was a man with a skin disease who came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean. He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing. Be made clean!” Immediately his skin disease was cleansed. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” Matthew 8:1-4 NRSVUE
Words are swirling about in every direction. Some words are connected to actions that will have far-reaching consequences, and other words are simply weaponized mind games designed to foster terror and paralysis in movements toward communal wellness. Words are tools, but they need channels to be powerful.
This is a season to masterfully steward our words and our listening, peculiarizing ourselves from the status quo — harnessing wisdom in hush harbors, Sunday dinners, church meetings, card parties and summer barbecues. Henceforth, trust ought to come at a premium, discerned and proven. The whole truth is, we have come this far by faith, brilliance and savvy. As such, we must be smarter than what means us no good.
There are those who will read these words and suggest I lighten up, when in fact, I am doing just that. Thinning chatter in precious thought spaces reduces the weight we carry. Worrying about who can “hold water” is energy we need to reclaim. It is right and good to press pause on performing community and instead build safe communities. The Spirit will guide us in the sharing of our gifts, thoughts, plans and visions, just as the Spirit did with Jesus.
In this short passage from Matthew, we encountered a Jesus who was thinking spiritually, contextually, and pragmatically. He knew who he was and how much his ministry was a threat to the socio-religious empire. He knew how excited the healed man would be to tell everyone what Jesus did for him. He knew he had more work to do and needed it not deterred by swirling words.
Jesus tells the man, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony.”
In other words, embody healing without telling all our business. Illustrate to the game players; something supernatural is at work. Perform the reintegration ritual Moses commanded and then they will know there is a power that is not theirs, that they do not control.
Jesus was not a coward. In fact, he was like our community and great cloud of witnesses — faithful, brilliant, and savvy. Beloveds, gather your village apart from social media, build a future that is healed, and “hold water.
Quiet Spiritual Warfare. Thank you Holy Scribe!
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