Believing is seeing (2)

In our market-driven world, we’re used to multimedia campaigns that try to persuade us of this or that or to subtly change our behavior. So when Jesus prohibits the demons from proclaiming who he is, the shunning of free publicity and the refusal to accept free endorsements or testimonials seems strange. Surely the healing of so many people in one place is a God-given opportunity to get his message out! But Jesus doesn’t think so, and the reasons behind this counter-intuitive behavior become clearer in the light of what he says about his use of parables when he teaches (Matthew 13:10–15). Jesus seems to indicate that he doesn’t want to be known by just the casual observer. In the parable of the soils he teaches the need for people to retain and understand his message (Luke 8:15; Matthew 13:23); and in John 8:31,32 and 6:26–29 Jesus points out that knowledge is linked to willingness to believe and obey. God is not seeking casual followers, but those whose whole hearts are yielded, who have decided to give all to know and follow the King of the Universe, who will love him even to the point of laying down their lives.