11 On the way to Jerusalem He was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When He saw them He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” ~ Luke 17:11-19NIV
There were ten lepers. Jesus spoke to them from afar off and told them to present themselves to the priest. There was no miracle. No change. Nothing immediately happened. In fact, I’m willing to bet that if they hadn’t walked in obedience to the high priest, they would have never been healed because that’s when they noticed their healing. Then, only one returned. A Samaritan. The Samaritans aren’t Jews of any kind.
Their ancestors were foreigners, from all over, that Sennacherib, King of Assyria, removed all Jews from Samaria and placed foreigners in their place. He did this because he had just seized Israel, and Samaria was Israel’s capital. They then began having plagues because of the amount of idolatry and corruption, to the point that the king sent a captured priest back to Bethel to teach them how to live in the land and not offend God. They then began to mix their religions with Judaism.
This is what the Samaritan man came out of. Paganism mixed with Judaism, yet he was the only one who returned to Jesus to thank Him. And he was the only person who received salvation. That word healed or made well that Jesus tells him, doesn’t mean physical healing. He already received that. It’s the Greek word Sozo, which means full entire healing and deliverance. It means to be saved. 9 Jews who had the Scriptures, the Prophets, and all the teachings of God in its entirety saw their healing and kept walking, but one man who had generations of mixing paganism and Judaism came back and fell at Jesus’ feet when he saw he was healed.
So many of us who grew up in the Church are missing out on a real relationship with Christ because we take it for granted. We aren’t as grateful. We aren’t seeking Him the way we should. We aren’t giving Him the thanksgiving and praise He deserves. While those who have never set foot in Church are finding Christ and surpassing us in the things of God. We’ve become like the nine instead of like the one.
Dear LORD, please help me to never take you for granted. Please teach me to love You the way You deserve. Teach me to follow you. Teach me to be grateful and thankful. Help me to always seek You with all that is within me. Even if no one else comes to You, LORD, help me to be the one that does. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.
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