character flaw...

I have this flaw in my character. If I decide to do something, let's say, exercise and lose some weight, and tell other people about it I am less likely to actually do it. But, if I don't say anything to anybody I am more likely to begin such a program. It's almost like just have the conversation gets me out of actually doing the thing I'm talking about! Stinks.

Jesus healed a man with leprosy in Matthew 8:1-3 but tells the man NOT to tell anyone. Instead he is to go show himself to the priest and offer the required sacrifice for being cleansed of leprosy (perhaps a thank or wave offering) and this action will be a public testimony that he had been cleansed.

Perhaps Jesus knew this guy had the same character flaw I do! Look at what might have happened. He is cleansed and runs through town telling everyone Jesus healed him. But, since he didn't go to the priest, he has no proof that he had leprosy and had been healed. And, he may have told a few people, been all excited and then went back to work, forgetting about it. By going to the priest he gets a record of his healing (because the priest would have had a record that he had leprosy and needed to be sent out of the community according to the law), he has the opportunity to offer a "thank you" sacrifice to God (according to the law) and everyone in the Temple would have seen it - a public testimony!

So, I'm exercising and trying not to talk about it too much. The public testimony comes when others notice the physical change in me and ask me what's up or tell me I look better. Then I can tell them what I am doing.

Maybe spiritually we ought to make those lifestyle changes first (instead of just talking about it) and then let people "see" it in our lives and ask, "what is different?" Then we can tell them, I've been cleansed. You've seen the proof.