Title: Like the One who Came Back to Jesus
In Lk 17:11-19, it says that Jesus entered a certain village while passing between Samaria and Galilee. According to the Law of Moses (Lev 13-14), lepers should not come near to other people. There were 10 lepers who heard that Jesus has entered the village. So, they came and stood at a distance, and shouted for a help, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
Because Jesus is God of All Knowing, Jesus said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” Although the journey to Jerusalem to see the priests is very far, none of the 10 lepers asked back or complain to Jesus. Instead, they immediately followed the instruction of Jesus Christ. They departed to Jerusalem when nothing had happened to them yet, the healing they were looking for wasn’t given to them yet. But they believed and obeyed Jesus. Do we have faith like these lepers? I pray and bless all of us in the name of the Lord that we will also move by faith when it comes to obey the Word of God.
While the lepers were on the way to Jerusalem, they sensed that something was happening on their body. They started to get healed. What a great blessing and victorious moment was that as they followed the Word of Jesus by faith, they received healing.
The Bible says that among the ten, nine went to Jerusalem, whereas one came back to Jesus. How lonely it must be for him and how difficult to make such decision. People may have said to him, “Why are you overdoing it? If you are going back to Jesus, your action may make us look bad. Why are you trying to do things that even Jesus didn’t ask for?” However, he came back and kneeled down before Jesus and gave thanks to Jesus (Luk 17:16). According to Greek, it means he gave Jesus a worship service of thanksgiving.
When Jesus saw the one who came back, He must be thrilled and happy to see him healed, as He was the one who performed this miracle and healing. However, Jesus, with a disappointed face, asked “Where are the nine?” Was no one found who turned back to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” From here, we can sense that Jesus expected all of them come back and give thanks and glory to God.
What separates them?
- There is an issue with LOVE
When you do things on the list and check one by one, you are fulfilling your duty. But if you are in love with someone, do you go beyond the check list or not? No, you are prepared to overdoing it or do things that you don’t normally do. That is the result of love. God wants to have a Bride and Groom relationship with us; it is the Father and children relationship. God loves us first and He wants us to love Him (1 Cor 13:1).
My brothers and sisters, if our faith in Jesus only finishes at the point of our desires being satisfied, our wishes come true, and our sickness get healed, there is no difference from Shamanism. The faith of Christianity is not shamanism but to have the right relationship with God and to reconcile with God in relationship.
Let us love Jesus. Let’s love our Father God. Let’s do all the duties and ministries out of love toward Him.
- There is an issue with PERSPECTIVE
When the nine were healed, they happily went to show their bodies to the priests. However, one came back to give glory to God. Many theologies agreed that it was because this Samaritan had a clear understanding that the healing came from God.
The nine were thankful to God for healing but they didn’t believe that it was God who healed them personally and directly.
Perhaps, they think they have no doubt that they were under God’s grace, but maybe it was the fresh wind or the sun or the right temperature that has helped and healed them. Whereas, the one who came back to Jesus had a clear perspective that his healing came from God directly and personally.
We often say that all that we have is from God. How much do you believe in what you say? We often say that it is God’s grace that we wake up in the morning. How much do you mean what you say?
We should not believe ambiguously about God who is with us but believe that our Father God is with us and directly governs our lives and our businesses. Then, even when the time of famine comes, we can give thanks to God because we will be made to seek God all the more.
Conclusion:
Our thanksgiving must not be stopped
2 Cor 8:1-5 Now, brothers and sisters, we make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, 2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. 3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave voluntarily, 4 begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, 5 and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.
The church in Macedonia was under a lot of affliction and poverty. Yet, they never stopped giving God thanksgiving and praise. They rather gave God generously in such situation.
Let’s not make excuses but sort out the issues in LOVE and PERSPECTIVE, so that we can give God generously and become the one God is looking for.
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 