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Luke 17:11–19 (ESV)
11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
When I was a kid, I always dreaded the days after Christmas. Not only did we have to take down all the lights, but the decorations on the tree also had to be boxed up, the tree taken out of the house, everything cleaned up and put away, and then, the letter writing would begin.
My mom would make my brother and me sit down and write the “thank you” letters to everyone who had given us a gift.
Of course, it was the right and good thing to do, and I’m grateful that she made us do it because we learned not only how to say “thank you” but also how to appreciate our relatives and the gifts that we were given.
The account in the passage is a bit shocking, but the question is, what are we shocked by? Are we shocked by the miraculous healing? Are we shocked by the one person who praised God with a loud voice and fell at Jesus’ feet? Are we shocked that he was a Samaritan? Certainly, the Jews who were present would be shocked, as would Luke’s Jewish readers. Or, could it be that we’re shocked that nine Jewish lepers did not return to thank Jesus?
If we’re giving the other nine lepers the benefit of the doubt, it could be that they were so overwhelmed with joy that they ran to the priest to be declared healed (as was the responsibility of the local priest). It could be that their thoughts were filled with seeing their families again, and they quickly ran home to embrace them.
Luke doesn’t let us in their thinking, but he does imply that they were less grateful and should have returned and given praise to God.
But one person does, a foreigner.
The Greek word for “foreigner” only occurs this one time in the New Testament. It is seen occasionally in literature outside the Bible and most famously as a warning on the Temple in Jerusalem on the wall that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the inner Jewish sanctuary, “No foreigner is permitted inside the partition and wall around the temple. Whoever is caught will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.”
When Jesus uses the term “foreigner,” He is once again demonstrating that God’s love, mercy, and grace are available to all who will simply come regardless of cultural status or label.
Jesus then tells the man, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
This word for “made you well” in Greek is the same word for “saved.”
The foreigner trusted Jesus and as a result, not only was he healed, but he was also saved, reconciled, and brought into a right relationship with the Lord.
For that, this foreigner is loudly, joyfully, and humbly thankful.
What are you thankful for? There is an old song, “Count your Blessings”. The song encourages us to count the ways that we have been blessed by God. Think about it for a minute. How have you been blessed by God? After all, He is the Giver of all things. Life, every breath, food, the sunrise, the sunset, snow, a warm sunny day, the beauty in every piece of art and music, our friends, our families (challenging though they be at times), and we could go on and on.
The world didn’t need to be like this. It could have been far more drab (of course we often made it dull and lifeless, but even there God can spring surprises). There is an old spiritual discipline of listing one’s blessings, naming them before God, and giving thanks. It is a healthy thing to do, especially in a world where we too often assume we have an absolute right to health, happiness, and every possible creature comfort. N.T. Wright
God is still at work in the world, Jesus is present with us, the Spirit is still guiding us.
For what can you give Him humble thanks and joyous praise?
God bless you and know that you are constantly in my prayers!
Scott
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