Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them”

Matthew 8:4

Have you ever wondered why Jesus sometimes told those He healed not to tell anybody? These days, people advertise themselves as faith healers and miracle-working apostles and prophets. They shout for the whole world to know that they are powerful and demand attention. But Jesus, the One from whom all power and authority flow, deflected all glory from Himself, and sometimes, just slipped away from the crowds. What is the lesson for us to learn?

In Philippians 2:6-8, we learn that Jesus, who in very nature is God, “didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what” (The Message). But He emptied Himself of all His prerogatives as God and condescended to our human level to save us. He submitted Himself to the Father and learned obedience to the basest of all deaths – crucifixion. In that humbled state, everything was about the Father’s glory. He pointed everyone to God and away from Himself. Jesus did not stand there to receive applause and congratulations that came from His miracles. He sought no human adoration (Jn. 2:24-25; 13:3-4). He left the crowds and left them to fix their eyes on God, who had done it all. His lesson for us is to always give glory to God by offering ourselves to Him in repentance and total obedience.

Sometimes He told the people He healed not to tell anybody but to go and show themselves to the high priest. I believe what Jesus was saying was to go and give honor to God by fulfilling His requirement before the high priest and not Him. Obedience was the hallmark of His life. It all belongs to the Father. He did not call attention to Himself but always directed it to the Father.

That is what we should learn to do as His disciples. We must learn to empty ourselves for Him to fill us. It is the highest form of worship (Rm. 12:2). We give Him the highest praise when we step down from the pedestal for the world to see His glory and come to Him. As John the Baptizer said, “The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.”

That is our challenge and the sign of our discipleship.