...The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere all situations, ... (Mk 1:40-45)
God is good, all the time.
Friends, people sometimes act with good intentions but take the wrong approach so that the actions end up being wrong or creating a problem. The best practical way out of this is to adopt the "what will Jesus do formula" or approach to our thoughts, actions, and language.
In today's gospel, Jesus heals a leper and ordered him not to tell anyone about the deed. But instead, "He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly." Mark stresses the extent to which the action affected the Lord's ministry in the area where the incident occurred. It was not Mark's style to exaggerate issues; for the most part, he was reticent in his report.
The challenge for believers in this story is to avoid the temptation of imprisoning the Lord: sometimes it is our actions, words, and thoughts; other times, it is the things we fail to do. They can become the jails in our lives preventing the Lord from shine in us for others to see as “light” of the world and “salt” of the earth. (Cf. Matt 5: 13-16).
By ignoring Jesus' command not to tell anyone about his experience of healing, the leper disobeyed the Lord, even with his good intentions. Disobedience to the Lord limits his actions in our lives because it may prevent him from shining through us to others. Similarly, good deeds without the right intention can imprison him when they fall short of letting others see them as deeds worthy of good Christians. When gossips, breaking someone's secret, threats against others, biases, and stereotypical behaviors impede others from living freely, they can become jails for the Lord too.
In all situations then, think and act according to Jesus' perspectives, command, and example. Remember, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord” (Is 55:8).
Prayer blessings: Father, we turn to you in the morning, noon, and evening to ask for your help. Gove to us a share in the life and love that your Spirit offers. Amen.