Ponder today that Jesus would warn you against speaking too loudly about your vision of Who He is

And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly: "See that no one knows." But they went out and spread his word all over that country. Matthew 9: 30–31

Who is Jesus? This question is much easier to answer today than when Jesus walked the earth. Today we are blessed by countless saints who have gone before us who have intelligently prayed and taught much about the person of Jesus. We know that He is God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Savior of the world, the promised Messiah, the sacrificial Lamb and much even more.

The above gospel comes from the conclusion of the miracle in which Jesus healed two blind men. These men were overwhelmed by their care and their emotion overwhelmed them. Jesus commanded them to "Make No One Know" miraculous healing. But their excitement could not be contained. It is not that they were intentionally disobedient to Jesus; rather, they did not know how to express their sincere gratitude other than to tell others about what Jesus had done.

One of the reasons Jesus told them not to tell others about Him is because Jesus knew they did not fully understand who He was. He knew their testimony about Him would not present him in the most truthful way. He was the Lamb of God. The savior. The messiah. The sacrificial lamb. He was the One who came into this world to redeem us with the shedding of His blood. Many people, however, only wanted a nationalist "messiah" or a miracle worker. They wanted one who would save them from political oppression and make them a great earthly nation. But this was not Jesus' mission.

We can often also fall into the trap of misunderstanding who Jesus is and who he wants to be in our life. We may want a "god" who will only save us from our daily struggles, injustices and temporal difficulties. We may want a "god" who acts in accordance with our will and not vice versa. We want a "god" who heals us and frees us from any earthly burden. But Jesus clearly taught throughout his life that he would suffer and die. He taught us that we must take our crosses and follow him. And he taught us that we must die, embrace suffering, offer mercy, turn the other cheek and find our glory in what the world will never understand.

Reflect today on the fact that Jesus would warn you against speaking too loudly about your vision of Who He is. Do you find it difficult to present a "god" who is not really God? Or you have come to know the very Person of Christ our Lord to such an extent that you can bear witness to the One who died. Do you boast only of the Cross? Do you proclaim Christ crucified and preach only the deeper wisdom of humility, mercy and sacrifice? Commit yourself to a true proclamation of Christ, putting aside any confused image of our saving God.

My true and saving Lord, I entrust myself to you and pray to get to know and love you as you are. Give me the eyes I need to see you and the mind and heart I need to know and love you. Remove from me any false vision of Who You Are and replace within me a true knowledge of You, my Lord. When I come to know you, I offer myself to you so that you can use me to proclaim your greatness to everyone. Jesus I believe in you.