The Wonder of It All

Then He ordered them to tell no one, but the more He would order them, the more they would proclaim it. - Mark 7:36

As the pastor (once again) of a local church, I have discovered that one of the most difficult things for a congregant to do is to consistently proclaim the gospel in word and deed. Then, after reading the verse in its context above, I wondered if maybe I needed to change tactics.

Jesus ordered those whose lives He had radically changed to tell no one about the experience, but the more He would order them to stop, the more they told! Was He using some sort of reverse psychology to get the message out about His identity? Perhaps, but before He physically departed this earth He gave a new command, "Go, and make disciples of all nations...." Simply put, we have no reason to be confused about what we are to do. If we have a problem proclaiming, it is not because we do not know we should do it. I believe the problem to be much deeper than that.

As the apostles themselves could not (later on) be silent, we who have truly been changed should find ourselves with the same affliction. The depth of their need and the wonder of their salvation demanded the proclamation of their transformation.

Could it be that we have simply forgotten the depth and the wonder of it all.

Is it not wonderful news to believe that salvation lies outside ourselves? - Martin Luther