Being grateful is an important part of following the Lord. In this passage, Jesus does another amazing healing.10 lepers call out for Jesus to have mercy. He does and heals the 10 men. Once they are declared clean, they go back to their lives and do not give the master a second thought. Well except one Samaritan that rushes back to thank Jesus. Jesus is saddened that only one returned and that man was a foreigner.
Make no mistake, Jesus was not in need of the pat on the back. Jesus’ sadness comes because these men were a stark reminder for Jesus of how God’s chosen think so very little of their Lord. They perform their rituals and their traditions, but as God blesses them, they are so spoiled that they don’t even consider the smallest gesture of thankfulness. For Jesus, God’s Son, and our sacrifice, it was a foreshadow of what lay ahead for Him.
In today’s culture, the church has mirrored the picture of the 10 lepers. We have enjoyed generations of protection and provision. We have been able to worship feely, and to send ministers around the world to share the Gospel. It has been so easy, that we have marched on our merry ways expecting it to never end; failing to even say thank you for the blessing. Now, as persecution looms near, God’s people need to come back with grateful hearts and be thankful for the gift of worship. If we will, perhaps the Lord will tell us, as he did the Samaritan leper, that our faith has healed our land.
Whatever the outcome, we need to live lives full of grateful hearts and minds. We can never take for granted that the gift of freedom can evaporate in a very short period. Help me, Lord, to remain grateful and never take You for granted.
God Bless You
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy[b] met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Walking With God 