Who Jesus Exposes and Who He Doesn't

This week we’ve been reflecting on how Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. Jesus honored his questions and his courageous steps to sneak around to get to Jesus in the dark. And there’s no evidence that Jesus exposed him.

But think about the woman who was bleeding for 12 years, literally crawled through the crowd and then secretly touched the hem of Jesus’s garment and was healed. Jesus called out for her to show herself. She was exposed. And Jesus took that opportunity to bless her publicly and restore her to social standing in the community.

In one instance, where Nicodemus has much to lose, Jesus protects him. In anther instance, when the woman has much to gain, Jesus lifts her up as a role model.

Or think about the man who needed healing for his ears and mouth. The scripture says that Jesus “took him aside, away from the crowd” - and you have to wonder if it was to protect his privacy and give him space to handle his newly repaired body.

And yet then there was the man with the withered hand. Jesus had him “stand up in front of everyone.” Definitely not a private moment. The scene happened in a synagogue, so the man was already known, and who knows what else Jesus was considering as he made that call.

Perhaps today we could consider how sometimes Jesus creates a safe space for our healing or for key moments in our spiritual journey. He knows we need the privacy, the time, the space. And other times he’s willing to push us to be bold, public and proud of our journey. It’s not easy to pin Jesus down. And maybe that’s part of what makes Jesus so good - he’s open to us and our circumstances and our needs, while also measuring what might be best for us in ways we can’t see.

Take some time and think with Jesus if there is a way you’d like his touch today and whether you’d like that more privately or more publicly - and talk with him about that.