Why did Jesus sternly warn people not to tell others about how He healed them?

Question

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When reading through the Gospels, it is hard not to notice this happening over and over again…for example:

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, "See that no one knows about it." But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
-Matthew 9:27-31

Why did He warn and tell others not to share what He had done for them?

And why did the writers of the Gospels take the time to include this over and over in their historical accounts of Jesus?

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Answer 1

After healing a man of leprosy (Mark 1:41-42), "Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 'See that you don't tell this to anyone...'" (Mark 1:43-44). To our way of thinking, it would seem that Jesus would want everyone to know about the miracle. But Jesus knew that publicity over such miracles might hinder His mission and divert public attention from His message. Mark records that this is exactly what happened. In this man’s excitement over his being miraculously healed, he disobeyed. As a result, Christ had to move His ministry away from the city and into the desert regions (Mark 1:45) “As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to Him from everywhere.”

In addition, Christ, though he had cleansed the leper, still required him to be obedient to the law of the land - to go at once to the priest, and not to make delay by stopping to converse about his being healed. It was also possible that, if he did not go at once, evil-minded men would go before him and prejudice the priest, and prevent his declaring the healing to be true because it was done by Jesus. It was of further importance that the priest should pronounce it to be a genuine cure, that there might be no prejudice among the Jews against its being a real miracle.

Finally, Jesus did not want people focusing on the miracles He performed, but rather the message He proclaimed and the death He was going to die. The same is true today. God would rather that we be focused on the healing miracle of salvation through Jesus Christ instead of focusing on other healings and/or miracles.

Answer 2

...Jesus knew what was in the hearts of men and he knew that there was a very specific way that He had to go about living and dying and living again...

... it was already written how things concerning the Messiah should go. Thus, being the Messiah, every thing had to be just right and He may have know that, when He did works in a certain cities and if the masses from those cities had known right then, then there could have been a chain of events that would have occured that would not have been right for the Messiah

Answer 3

Jesus Christ, was not out for showy publicity unlike many people today who seek prominence, in fact he discouraged it. He also showed that his kingdom was no part of the world, and, therefore, he had no need for the world’s recognition.
In connection with his performing miraculous cures, we repeatedly read that Jesus charged those who had been healed not to tell anybody about it.Something that people may also find amazing is that he also instructed his disciples not to make known that he was the Christ as found at Matt 16:20.

Answer 4

Everything has its time and it was not the right timing yet for people to now He is God.

Publicity over such miracles might hinder Christ's mission and divert public attention from His message. Mark records that this is precisely what happened.In this man's exuberance over the miracle,he disobeyed; as result, Christ had to move His ministry away from the city and into the desert regions ( Mk 1:45 )

Answer 5

For some reason I have it in mind that He wanted people to follow Him because he pointed the way to God the Father, not because he worked miracles. That he knew people's tendency to look for the "consolations of God rather than the God of consolations," so He wanted to help those blind men, etc., but He didn't want that to be the reason people believed Him.

If that isn't in the gospels somewhere, it must be something I was taught as a kid.

Answer 6

Those who sought Jesus Christ were dealt with, not according to their fancies, or according to their profession, but according to their faith.

Christ sometimes concealed His miracles, because He would not indulge the conceit which prevailed among the Jews, that their Messiah should be a temporal prince, and so give occasion to the people to attempt tumults and insurrection (Mt 9:32-34)

Answer 7

Two possibilities:

1) Jesus did NOT yet want others to know who he is, so he cautioned them to keep it quiet.

2) Jesus DID want others to know who he is, and he knew that telling someone to keep it a secret was the best way to get the word out.

It would appear that the gospel writers accurately depicted what Jesus did and said.

Answer 8

It was near nightfall the prince, king of this world (Satan) comes when the sun goes down, it was not Jesus time to die yet, His hour had not yet come. During the last supper, Jesus knew his hour had come, and he told Judas to go get Satan, Jesus then said after Judas left, Now I be Glorified. Jesus knew. he did not hide the healing of the man who's ear was cut off, because his time to die had come.

Answer 9

Jesus told the people to keep quiet about his healings because he did not want to be known only as a miracle worker. He healed because he had compassion on people, but he also wanted to bring "spiritual" healing to a sin-sick world.

Answer 10

John 2:3-4, "...the mother of Jesus saith unto him, THEY HAVE NO WINE. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? MINE HOUR IS NOT YET COME".

Mary knew Jesus could help with the problem, but Jesus asks her, what have I to do with this lack of wine (your problem)? He also let her know that it wasn't time for his powers to be revealed.

For the same reason that Jesus was born in a stable, they weren't to know who he was. If He wanted you to know, He revealed it to you.