Imagine what it must be like to be a celebrity. There are the "Hollywood" types and those in media, both of whom have the money and resources to protect their privacy - to a certain extent.
Then there are those thrust into the spotlight as a result of circumstances beyond their control; right place/right time, or wrong place/wrong time, as the case may be. They don't have the money or resources to protect themselves.
Jesus, in fulfilling His purpose, was one of the latter. His work, to heal, cast out demons and ultimately save the world from sin, made Him a celebrity of sorts. But he didn't have the money or resources to protect Himself from the throngs of people desiring to benefit from His unique abilities.
How did Jesus get into this predicament? The passage indicated that some - at least one - who He healed of leprosy couldn't keep it to himself. Can you blame him? Leprosy was the ultimate social disease of that time - his flesh was deteriorating, it was highly contagious and incurable. This man, who was miraculously healed by the hand of God Himself, (in the person of Jesus Christ), couldn't possibly keep it to himself - so hungry to be a part of society again, to hug his family, to walk among his fellows - he had to tell someone. But he clearly got carried away and "began to talk freely," which may have jeopardized the potential healing of many others.
But the real reason Jesus came wasn't to just heal bodies. Jesus came to heal souls. His ministry got Him a lot of attention due to His authority, and then His healings, but it was His ultimate sacrifice to redeem the world from death that was His ultimate purpose. And a little paparazzi wasn't going to stop Him from that - nothing could stop Him from saving the world.
Content:
Jesus heals a leper, instructs him to go to a priest and warns him not to tell anyone that Jesus healed him. The man instead spoke freely and Jesus could no longer enter a town, so people came to Him.
Divisions:
- Jesus compassionately heals a man with leprosy
- Jesus instructs him to follow the law of Moses for his cleansing; not to tell anyone
- The man tells everyone, forcing Jesus to remain outside of towns, but people came anyway
Subject Sentence:
Jesus heals leper, people come from everywhere to be healed.
Aim:
To cause the audience to know that the healing power of Jesus Christ draws people to Him.