I don't want to be like the other nine.
There were ten men suffering from the horrific skin disease known in the Bible as leprosy.
According to Luke, the gospel writer who was a physician and would therefore be deeply interested in the accounts of Jesus' healing ministry, these ten men approached Jesus as He passed through a particular village. They kept their prescribed distance as they were "unclean", but they called out to Jesus. "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." (Luke 17:13)
When He saw them, He responded by telling the men to go show themselves to the priests. This was a normal practice and I am sure they had done this before. Without argument or hesitation, the lepers turned to go and "as they went they were cleansed" (verse 14b).
Here is the point of this true story: only one of the men came back to give thanks.
Isn't that tragic?
Jesus noticed.
His healing gift restored to each one of the ten men their social standing, their opportunity to earn a living, their return to their homes and families in addition to physical health. They were made clean and whole again. Jesus had given back to them their very lives.
And only one man "turned back, praised God with a loud voice and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving Him thanks..." (verse 15 & 16).
Out of sheer joy and relief and humility, the one leper came back to acknowledge the Healer.
"Where are the other nine?"
Jesus noticed the absence of the nine other healthy men and also noted that the one who gave thanks was a foreigner, a Samaritan. Hmmm... Assuming the other nine were Israelites, would they not be the first ones to thank God and recognize His Servant, Jesus?
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Lord Jesus, THANK YOU for all You have done for me! I have been saved, called, adopted, healed, restored, blessed, favoured by Your gracious and loving kindness. I have so much more than I ever dreamed and have received more than I could never earn or deserve!
Forgive me for any ungratefulness, whether through my forgetfulness or my selfish focus. I want to be like the one former leper, who instantly and immediately knew he had been touched and blessed, and fell at Your feet in pure praise!
"O, You've done so much for me that I cannot tell it all,
I cannot tell it all, no I cannot tell it all!
O, You've done so much for me that I cannot tell it all;
You have taken all my sins away!
Praise God! Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!" ~ author unknown
Day 3 ~ What have we neglected to be grateful for, to God first and foremost? Is there anyone in our lives we need to express appreciation to who has done big or little kindnesses for us?
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