The Unfailing Goodness of God

I have always wondered why Jesus told the cleansed leper not to publicize how he had been healed by the Son of God. It’s not that I can’t understand why Jesus would want to keep the matter quiet — after all, he knew that as soon as people heard, he would be mobbed with requests for healings, and his movements restricted.

What gets me is the fact that Jesus simply must have realized the leper would not listen to him. Why give someone a command you know they will ignore? It’s a complicated question, and when I reflect on it, I can’t help but connect it to another equally complicated question: why does God, all-good and all-knowing, allow bad things to happen?

Yes, God is all-good and all-knowing. So when He gives us free will, He knows what we will do with it. However, He is also all-powerful. He can and will bring good from any situation, any tragedy, or even any instance where someone ignores Him.

Was it a sin for this leper to do other than what Jesus had said? That’s a heavy question for a Sunday morning! But it’s plain to see that, even though this man ignored Jesus’ command, God still used his actions. How many were brought to Christ because of the news spread by this leper!

As someone trying to live out a stewardship way of life, what is God requesting of you right now?

— Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS