Luke 17:11-19 NIV
11 Now on his way to
Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As
he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood
at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice,
“Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the
priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
15 One of them, when he saw he was
healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He
threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed?
Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to
God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made
you well.”
Drop It!
These past few weeks
we have been on a journey with Jesus as He walks with His disciples to
Jerusalem. Jesus has set His face like “flint” with determination to complete
the call that the Father had given to Him for His earthly purpose. Yes, even
though Jesus had told His disciples several times what was up, Jesus was going
to His own suffering, persecution, death, burial, resurrection and ascension
back into heaven.
For a moment though,
I want to recall the time recorded in the book of Matthew, when Jesus called
Peter and Andrew, as they were fishing, as was their occupation at that time. Jesus
told them to follow Him. What did Peter and Andrew do? They dropped their nets
and followed Jesus. Yes… they heard “Drop it!” and they did. Keep this “Drop It!”
in mind as we reflect on this passage of the Ten Lepers.
In this reading, we
are in the final stages of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. Jesus comes upon ten
leprous men seeking Jesus’ pity on them. And, Jesus, as always, full of
compassion, heals them. Not a Benny Hinn healing either, you know, a knock you
on the head and you’re healed kind of deal. Rather this healing from Jesus was a
healing as you go, type of healing. A healing that sneaks up on you and then
you realize, “Hey! I’m healed!”
I can’t help but to
think of Naaman in 2 Kings chapter 5. Naaman came down with leprosy and wanted
to be healed. Naaman was an outsider too, he was commander of the army of the
king of Aram. Naaman was a “big deal” so to speak in the eyes of his own
people.
Naaman wanted healed
and he heard from a servant girl, from Israel, how she thought that if Naaman would
seek help, perhaps the prophet Elisha, from Samaria, would heal him.
So, Naaman seeks
some help from the king of Aram, and the king sends a letter to the king of
Israel, to seek the cure of leprosy.
Well, the king of
Israel can’t cure leprosy and figures this letter was a trap from the king of
Aram. Elisha gets word of all of this and tells the king of Israel to have
Naaman come to see him.
So Naaman comes to Elisha.
Elisha doesn’t even come out to see Naaman, but tells him to wash seven times
in the Jordan. No Benny Hinn healing here! Naaman is indignant that Elisha
wouldn’t even come out to see him and hit him on the head in front of a large
congregation. (That’s my own stuff there…)
Naaman says he could
have washed in the nice clean waters of his hometown Abana and Pharpar rivers
of Damascus, rather than in the dirty creek waters of the Jordan. So, Naaman
storms off.
But as they were leaving,
the servants of Naaman, convinced him to wash in the Jordan. So, Naaman does
just that and his healed. See the connection? This wasn’t an instant Benny Hinn
healing, this was more of a healing like in the Luke passage, a healing as you
go along healing.
And Naaman, now
seeing that he has been healed, went back to Elisha to thank him. See, how this
goes along with the Luke passage as well?
Back to the Luke
passage now. A Samaritan in a group of Jews was not normal, to begin with. But
in leprosy as in other diseases, “misery loves company.” Typically, leprosy
would show on hands and feet, making walking or touching difficult. The flesh
on the face may turn the gray of death. Yet, through Jesus the lepers were
healed as they went on their way to see the priest.
One leper didn’t
show himself to the priest. Maybe because he was a Samaritan? Anyway, this
Samaritan leper turned back from the ceremonial of presenting himself cleansed
to the priest, to go back to thank Jesus for the grace from God in Jesus. This
Samaritan leper was a healed witness to God’s grace and truth.
In a manner of
speaking, as the Samaritan leper left Jesus, he “Dropped it” --- He realized
healing --- He “Dropped” what he was doing and returned to thank, and praise
Jesus; not only in word but in work as well.
The passage really
doesn’t say if the other lepers returned to thank Jesus after they saw the
priest, but I don’t think they did.
With this in mind, I
must say, it seems that unthankful hearts are a much worse disease than
leprosy.
The Samaritan leper’s
return to praise Jesus, made Jesus’ healing truly complete, in body and soul.
After all, praise and thanksgiving are a response to ALL Jesus has done. Jesus
gave this Samaritan leper faith and the Samaritan was healed by that freely
given faith.
Praise IS a RESPONSE
to God’s love. Praise flows from grace revealed in Jesus. The gift of grace
flows forth in praise and worship.
Kind of like what
Paul told the Colossians… and by extension you and I as well…
Colossians
3:15-17
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in
your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to
peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of
Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with
all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing
to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And
whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Yes, we
too are called to “Drop It.”
Now, let’s
flash back to the call of Peter and Andrew and the “Drop It” of nets. Let’s
move along with Peter and Andrew and the disciples as Jesus taught them along
this journey to Jerusalem and a little beyond.
At the
end of Jesus earthly ministry, in the Gospel of John, the disciples are once
again fishing. This is after Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus, from the shore of the
lake tells the disciples to “Drop it,” in a manner. Jesus tells the disciples
to “drop” the nets on the other side of the boat. The disciples had been
fishing all night and were coming up empty. So, they “Drop it” like Jesus told
them to do on the other side of the boat, and a huge catch of fish is made then
and there.
You,
see? The disciples received the faith, grace and forgiveness all in that
command to “Drop it.” And it was in so much abundance that it was difficult to
drag the net to shore.
What
happens? Peter returns to Jesus in joy and praise.
Likewise,
here in this passage a Samaritan on a journey is healed. AND HE “DROPS IT!” He recognized
what REAL healing Jesus gives and RETURNS to Jesus in joy and praise.
And it’s
time now…
It’s
time you and I, “DROP IT!”
Realize
the gift of healing, forgiveness and salvation God has gracefully given us in
the disease of our sin, and return to Jesus in joy and praise as well.
Return,
turn back and go back to God. Jesus saves and Jesus shares salvation to and for
ALL- Jew, Gentile, Samaritan… ALL … today… tomorrow… and forever. Thanks be to
God!
I leave
you with what else? A YouTube music video – Now Thank We All Our God
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