Matt 9:27-31 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!" And when He had come into 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 let it be to you." 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See that no one knows it." 31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country. NKJV

Jesus did not heal for sensationalism or showiness, to bring attention to himself by doing stupendous miracles. They were done to confirm the word he was preaching, or for simple compassion on the sufferers. When it appeared to him to be showy or for the wrong reasons, he was reticent to perform the miracle.

When the two blind men asked Jesus for healing, they referred to him as "The Son of David." Jesus shunned this title of himself because it thwarted his overall mission. Many would have liked to make him a king like David, and no doubt, some may have understood the prophecy of 2 Samuel 7 in that way. However, Jesus did not desire the Jews to think his was an earthly kingdom. He set up a spiritual kingdom, of which we are a part today (John 18:36).

When Jesus did this miracle he got away from the crowd -- again, he did not perform miracles to be sensational. He asked them if they believed he was able to do this. "Yes, Lord" was the answer. So he gives command, "According to your faith let it be to you." Faith was essential in this matter, as is everything we do for the Master. He then commands that they tell no one, and they departed telling everyone they could.

Did the blind men tell everyone because of gratitude or joy? Or did they do it to draw attention to themselves and to the miracle worker Jesus? We oft are made to wonder, out of the multitude of people Jesus healed, how many became true disciples of the Master?. What were the motives of those who disobeyed the Lord to tell others about their healing? When they disobeyed Jesus by telling others they violated his express command, hindered his usefulness and teaching, troubled his spirit and brought on his death.

One of the things the Bible clearly teaches us is that obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22-23). So many in Jesus' day thought they were honoring Jesus by disobeying his strict commands not to spread matters abroad, and they thought they were honoring Jesus by so doing. How often has Jesus been "served" today by "seeming service" that grieve him in the guise of honoring him? How? When we pray using vain repetitions; when we claim an irreverent familiarity with him; when we claim to follow him but do not live up to the standards he has set, have we not become guilty of doing the same thing?

We must serve Jesus by doing His commands rather than by trying to serve him in "ZEAL without knowledge." The Jews were condemned for doing just this in Romans 10:1-3,"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. NKJV