‘I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN…’
Opening Prayer
O God, you are great beyond measure and deserve the highest I come with an open heart to meditate on your Word today, Father. Speak to me through it; show me yourself in new ways so that I can be moved to better serve you.
Read LUKE 17:11–19
Jesus Heals Ten Men With Leprosy
11 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[a] 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.”
Footnotes
- Luke 17:12 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Consider the difference between genuine thanks and merely being polite. ‘Thank you’ can mean almost nothing—or it might change the direction of your whole life…In a world where even machines say ‘thank you’ in response to our actions, it is easy to lose our grip on the power of those two words. Genuine thankfulness is our acknowledgement that something was done by another person who had the choice to ignore or discount our needs in favor of their own comfort or preference. (See 2 Corinthians 8:9.)
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. He knew what awaited him there. He was focused. Yet he stopped to listen and respond to the most disposable people imaginable: lepers on the Samaritan border. Twice.
The first time ten people were yelling. That would be hard to ignore, even at a distance. They had a need Jesus could and did meet. The second time only one person was yelling, but because of a very different need. The healed Samaritan was no longer at a distance (verse 16). He was driven by joy, not pain. He was drawn close to the source of his joy. He could not be silent or self-focused. His thanks did not change Jesus, but certainly changed him. His whole world had been reoriented with a new compass. The nine others were healed. He had been ‘made well’ (v.19).
Apply
‘Rise and go.’ What would it mean for you to obey this command today? Who would be blessed as a result?
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, I am grateful for the grace and mercy you have poured out on me. Help me to express my thanksgiving in ways that bless you and make a difference, even an eternal difference, in the lives of those around me.
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