Life Lessons from a Leper
“And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.” Luke 17:12-19
Only one of the 10 men with leprosy who cried out to Jesus for mercy and were cleansed by Him turned back around and came to Jesus to thank Him. I had read and heard the story on and off for years, but there were three lessons I missed every time.
- The men didn’t hold back their need or worry if anyone would hear and ridicule and judge them. They cried out to Jesus!
- The only one of the 10 who came back to Jesus didn’t hold back his thanksgiving. Note his volume and posture. His praise was LOUD. He FELL ON HIS FACE to worship Jesus with his grateful heart.
- This man unlike the others was made whole in addition to being cleansed because of his FAITH, but he didn’t stand around saying, “I believe in Jesus.” His faith was evident in how he cried out to Jesus for mercy AND in how he praised the Lord!
What’s the common denominator in each of these three lessons? This man held back nothing from the Lord. He didn’t hold back his need, he didn’t hold back his faith, and he didn’t hold back his thanksgiving. He was sold out to Jesus. His faith in Jesus and his devotion to Him was not half-hearted. He was focused above all else on Jesus!
How many of us can say the same about ourselves? I am convicted even as I write this. Do we cry out to Him because He is the one we need? Do we demonstrate our faith in our actions and where we focus our attention above all else? Do we give the Lord the praise, honor, glory, and thanksgiving due His name? Is Jesus truly Lord of our lives, or is He merely Lord with our mouths?
Oh, such a long way I have to go. I need the Lord’s mercy each and every day. Each and every moment.
Please join me in hearing the voice of the Spirit of God as He speaks to your heart. Let us all make the changes we need to make that we would revere the Lord as Lord with our very lives!