One Came Back

"Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” - Luke 17:18

Have you ever gone out of your way to do something for someone only to receive nothing in return ? Nothing. Not even a simple thank you? Maybe you went out of your way by giving of your precious time to help a friend or loved one. You may have spent your last dime to provide a free meal or tank of gas so someone who would not be without. Whatever the case...

Jesus can relate.

As He walked toward Jerusalem, Jesus encountered ten lepers. A leper was someone who had an infectious disease. Their bodies would have been covered in boils or sores. Job's leprosy was so painful that "he took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat in ashes" (Job 2:8). Lepers were cast outside the city gates to prevent others from contracting their disease. They were alone. Destitute. No one to care for them and nobody who cared about them.

Then, there was Jesus.

When Jesus heard the lepers crying out, He commanded them to get up and show themselves to the priests. Obviously, Jesus could have healed them Himself, but He chose to send them to the priests for healing. Why? I'm not sure other than He may not have wanted to draw attention to Himself since it was not His time to endure the cross. Instead, He allowed His miracle to be performed by the priests.

But, my friend, only Jesus can bring about miraculous healing. Unfortunately, the ten lepers failed to see it this way. For only one of the ten "that was healed, returned, and with a loud voice, glorified God," falling down on his face and giving thanks to Jesus (Luke 17:15-16). The one who returned was a Samaritan.

Jews and Samaritans were like oil and water-they simply did not mix. That's why the woman at the well was baffled why a Jew would speak to her, a Samaritan, when most Jews walked around Samaria to enter Galilee or Judea. But Jesus is not "most" Jews. He is Jesus which is why He deserves all our honor and praise.

Listen to Jesus's heart become unveiled in Luke 17:17-18, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” Can you hear the hurt He felt for His Father, our Father God?

Why did nine lepers fail to return to show their gratitude and praise? Maybe the lepers thought their healing came from the priests and failed to see the power of God working through them. How often do we seek the same healing from others? We want a knight in shining armor to show up on a white horse and save us from our leprosy (i.e., addiction, pain, depression, anxiety) when Jesus stands ready to heal us from all disease.

Maybe the lepers were too proud to return to God. How often does God bless us and once we receive those blessings, we wipe our hands clean of God and His Word? Kind of sounds like the nation we live in today.

I wonder if they thought Jesus should assume they were grateful or if He were all-knowing, why would they need to say something He should already knew?

My friend, they missed the point. Everyday, we are blessed by God. If you woke up this morning, alive, and breathing, consider yourself blessed. If you ate food today, you are blessed. Did you take a hot shower with clean wate? Blessed. If you were able to walk. Blessed. Did you have the strength to cook, wash dishes, and provide for your family? Double blessed.

Even if none of these things exist in my life, I am blessed knowing that Jesus Christ came to earth, died on a cross to take on my sins so that I can live eternally with Him, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit in Heaven for eternity (John 3:16-17). We deserve death, and yet the King of the world paid for our sins so that we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

Today, I challenge you not to miss Jesus. He is there, I promise. If you look hard enough, there are more than enough blessings. And if you are the generous person I spoke of earlier who was able to bless someone else, thank you. Even if no one said thanks, Jesus saw your good deed and He promises to reward you for it in Heaven. Plus, remember all praise, honor, and glory belong to Him.