It does seem like often Jesus is trying to avoid too much publicity too soon. Not because of the pig thing to avoid hassle, but the opposite – the people have been so desperate for so long for the Messiah, that when they start to think he’s it, they’re likely to try to make him their king/military leader, because that was what they were expecting the Messiah to do – rather than die on a cross.

But here’s the question. If you were blind, in a very community where everyone knows everyone, then suddenly you can see, how on earth do you hide that? And whet are you supposed to give as your explanation?

Actually I don’t think for a minute in this, and lots of other similar passages, that we’re supposed to see the guys who “blabbed” in a bad light, instead to get a sense that the real good news of the kingdom is impossible to keep quiet no matter how hard we try, about because it changes us so dramatically. That kinds of contrasts with preachers beating us up because we “ought” to share our faith!