Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
Select a thought to read by choosing a collection, the month, and then the day:
Pastor John
My wife and I were reading in Matthew and we were wondering...why does Jesus heal people then send them away and tell them to say nothing, and some he heals and tells them to tell everybody? Could you help us in understanding this?
Another thing we were reading was the parables of the kingdom of heaven, and we were wondering if they were all the same in meaning and what are they trying to get across?
Thanks
Jack
====
Dear Jack,
First of all, let me say that I am very pleased to hear that you and your wife are reading the Bible together. That is one of the foundations to a happy and secure marriage.
There were times, Jack, when so many people followed Jesus that it hampered his ability to move about and accomplish the work that the Father had sent him to do on earth. I would imagine on those occasions when he felt that the multitudes would be a hindrance to his work, he would command the healed person to say nothing and to go home quietly, while on other occasions, perhaps when the Father directed him to heal many people as a sign to Israel, he would have told healed people to spread the news. That is how I have always understood those passages to which you refer.
As for the parables, there may be some minor differences in their meaning, but fundamentally, the point of all the parables is this: “He who endures unto the end , the same shall be saved.” If you will notice the next time you read some parables, that crucial lesson is at least a part of Jesus’ point every time he speaks a parable.
Take care, and keep searching out the truth with your wife. It is your responsibility to guide the house along life’s road.
Pastor John