SCRIPTURE: As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.
LESSON: In the manifold wisdom of God, I believe the key lessons here are as follows:
LESSON: In the manifold wisdom of God, I believe the key lessons here are as follows:
- If you keep quiet, your problems will consume you. The lepers cried out! Cry out to God, and reach out to brethren when necessary. Don't suffer in silence. A sealed lip is a sealed destiny.
- It's important to keep in mind that when the Lord responds to us, we should obey the instructions given without delay. It's not always necessary to analyze the logic behind it, as it may not be obvious. In this story, we see that the Lord didn't heal the lepers by speaking or laying on of hands, but instead, asked them to go and show themselves to the priest (which was required to confirm that they were healed). They were healed on the way, while they were obediently following the instruction of the Lord.
- Thanksgiving is not only necessary but has to be immediate (first) and complete. The others may also have given thanks to God and probably came later to thank the Lord Jesus AFTER celebrating with their families and friends, but this Samaritan FIRST came back to thank the Lord before going to meet his family and friends, and the Lord deeply appreciated it. That says a lot!
