Jesus entered a village and was met by ten lepers who called out to him: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us” (Luke 17.13). Through an act of compassion and grace, He healed all ten. Being instructed to go to the temple and show themselves to the priest, they went and were declared clean. One of the ten, a Samaritan, “when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks” (17.15-16). One returned; one gave thanks. One, a Samaritan and not a Jew, recognized the gracious work of the Lord to heal him. One realized he was indebted to the Savior; one humbled himself before the Savior; one returned with praise and thankfulness. The other nine? They apparently took their healing for granted, went back to their homes, glad to be able to continue life “clean” and no longer as an outcast.
It is so easy for many to forget what the Lord has done in their lives. We, as the lepers, were totally unclean before the Lord; we were filthy in sin, dead in sin, and unable to do anything for ourselves to bring healing, cleansing. We were destined for a life of being outcast from the Father, from the family of God. But the Lord looked upon us in His mercy and grace; He saw us in our need and had compassion on our lost state; He chose to free us from the bondage of leprous sin; He cleansed us through His own blood shed on the Cross of Calvary; He received us into His holy family and gave us an eternal home. Are we quick to forget; are we prone to complacently go our own way, satisfying our desires, with little lasting thought of what our Lord has done? May we be as the one Samaritan, ever coming to the Lord with a thankful heart; ever humbling ourselves before His throne recognizing our lives and our eternal hope are the gracious gifts of God. May we ever remember we were unclean, but have now been cleansed through the loving, merciful, gracious work of the Lord.
Cleansed and redeemed – we have much to be thankful for –
Terry Burlingame
My Morning Desk 