The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 17:17-18,
"Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"
Jesus healed ten lepers. After calling out to Jesus, Jesus told them to go to the priests, per the instructions given in the Scriptures for such. As they went they were healed. One, a Samaritan, seeing he was healed, went right back to Jesus and praised God "in a loud voice", verse 15, and threw himself at Jesus' feet, thanking him. Noting only one of the ten came back to thank him and praise God for his deliverance from leprosy, Jesus made this remark.
I note that the ten had called out to Jesus "in a loud voice", verse 13. Likewise, I note that the Samaritan praised God for his deliverance "in a loud voice", verse 15. It causes me to think the urgency and importance placed on the request for deliverance was equalled by this Samaritan's praise for having received it. How often is that seen?
It was the man's faith that prompted God to heal the man of his leprosy, as Jesus noted in verse nineteen. Since all ten had been healed, all ten must have had that faith. Yet, only one returned to thank Jesus and express his praise of God. Only one felt compelled to return to Jesus to worship God with a genuine and sincere heart. Perhaps the nine were planning on doing so when they got to the temple. But not this man! This man must have felt an urgent compulsion to express something welling up in his heart that could not await his arrival at the temple. It needed to be expressed then and there, at the feet of the One who had brought the healing.
What of the other nine? And, where would I fit into this account? Would I be like the Samaritan or the other nine, whose preoccupation with their healing seemed to overshadow as urgent an impulse to express adoration, praise and thankfulness for what was done for them as the Samaritan? Of course, like most, I'm sure I would want to find myself beside the Samaritan, on my knees in thankfulness at Jesus feet for what was done for me.
To find myself there, I know my attention would have to shift from myself and my healed condition to the One who had done this wonderful thing for me. The appreciation for the deliverance, the heartfelt gratitude for the healing, an indebtedness that comes with the recognition for what was done on my behalf could only find its full expression as I focused my attention on him.
While I have never had leprosy and experienced a healing such as is described in this account, an even greater deliverance has been provided me. Having sinned in my life, having earned God's judgment of an eternity in hell, he sent his Son for me. God sent his Son to rescue me from his own wrath to make a way for me into his family! Instead of facing eternal death, I now look forward in anticipation to life eternal with all of its wonderful blessings!
As the Samaritan who returned, I have ample cause to worship my God, to praise my God, to express my thankfulness, my gratitude and my love of him!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
No comments:
Post a Comment