Gospel: Mark 7: 31-37
Today's healing story is instructive in how we should care for others as Jesus does. A man approaches asking for healing in the midst of a crowd. Jesus takes him away from the crowd and heals him in private. Then, Jesus tells him to tell no one about this healing. Healing of others is not done for acclaim or adulation; Jesus heals others solely out of concern and mercy for the person in need of healing.
By contrast, such a healing in our day would not take place without some attempt to monetize the experience. If a healing were not followed up with a slick direct mail campaign it simply did not happen. In a culture where we cannot even make breakfast without posting it on social media, events of this import would be maximally exploited for social media content creation.
But to follow Jesus is to perform works of love and mercy in quiet away from crowds and in pleadings to tell no one about them. We are to care for others solely for their benefit and not at all for ours. The way to the kingdom is not one that seeks power, wealth, and fame. That path leads to doom. The path of the Lord is the one less traveled by, one that leads to the care of one dying in a ditch and to a humble inn where healing and mercy are shown with no fanfare or seeking of reward.
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