And as he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him.
But he refused, and said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”
And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decap’olis how much Jesus had done for him; and all men marveled.
–Mark 5:18-20
Scriptural readings such as this always affect me deeply, for personal reasons. Just over 3 years ago, I had a heart attack in a hospital emergency room. The attention I received was so rapid that the cardiologist, almost in disbelief himself, said that no damage had been done to my heart. I have often thought since then that I couldn’t have done a better job of it if I had planned the heart attack myself. Too many coincidences. Right place. Right time. Right doctor. RIGHT GOD.
Hmmm. How does this fit into Jesus’ practice of telling people to be quiet about miracles? Does that come later? Before?