The One Who Came Back
Luke 17:11–19
11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, He reached the border between Galilee and Samaria.
12 As He entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance.
13 They called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have mercy 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 that 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.”
There is so much that we could take away from the above scripture.
I want to focus on verses 17–19.
Jesus spoke to all ten lepers, and as they went they were cleansed. They were obedient and did exactly what Jesus asked them to do.
But only one returned and gave thanks. Only one came back to give glory to God for His goodness. We can speculate that only one truly recognized the depth of his condition and understood that without the mercy and kindness of God, he would have remained in his suffering.
So many times we ask the Lord for something, and when He provides, we move on with our lives without ever stopping to acknowledge His goodness.
God desires our obedience—but even more, He wants our praise. He wants our gratitude. He knows that gratitude changes our hearts and transforms us into the people He has called us to be.
Psalm 107:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
This week, as you give thanks to the Lord, take time to examine your heart. In a world where entitlement runs rampant and “I deserve” is the prevailing mindset—where is your heart?
Open our eyes, Lord, and let us see You.
Make us grateful in everything.