The “least” are often the most grateful
O God of infinite mercy and boundless majesty,
Whom no distance can part from those for whom thou care, be present to thy servants who everywhere confide in thee, and through all the way in which they are to go be pleased to be their guide and companion. May no adversity harm them, no difficulty oppose them; may all things turn out happily and prosperously for them, that by the aid of thy right hand, whatsoever they have asked for with reasonable desire they may speedily find brought to good effect, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.[1]
Luke 17:11-19 NRSV
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
Warren Wiersbe
Jesus was still on His way to Jerusalem and His journey took Him along the border of Samaria and Galilee where He met ten men who were lepers. These outcasts lived and traveled together because they were rejected by society. They recognized Jesus because immediately they begged Him for mercy. He commanded them to go see the priest (see Leviticus 13–14), and when they obeyed the command, they were all healed. Only one of the ten men was grateful enough to come first to Jesus and thank Him for His merciful gift of healing. But the astounding thing is that this man was a Samaritan! Imagine a Samaritan giving thanks to a Jew! But because he did, this man received an even greater gift: he was saved from his sins. “Your faith has made you well” can be translated, “Your faith has saved you.” Physical healing is a great blessing, but it ends at death, while the blessing of eternal life lasts forever.[2]
Matthew Henry
A sense of our spiritual leprosy should make us very humble whenever we draw near to Christ. It is enough to refer ourselves to the compassions of Christ, for they fail not. We may look for God to meet us with mercy, when we are found in the way of obedience. Only one of those who were healed returned to give thanks. It becomes us, like him, to be very humble in thanksgivings, as well as in prayers. Christ noticed the one who thus distinguished himself, he was a Samaritan. The others only got the outward cure, he alone got the spiritual blessing. [3]
Heavenly Father,
Teach me to believe that if ever I would have any sin subdued, I must not only labor to overcome it, but must invite Christ to abide in the place of it, and he must become to me more than vile lust had been; that his sweetness, power, life maybe there. Thus, I must seek a grace from him contrary to sin, but most not claim it apart from himself. When I am afraid of evils to come, comfort me by showing me that in myself I am a dying, condemned wretch, but in Christ I am reconciled and live; that in myself I find insufficiency and not rest, but in Christ there is satisfaction and peace; that in myself I am feeble and unable to do good, but in Christ I have ability to do all things. Amen.[4]
Thank You, Lord
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Corinthians 4.15).
[1] “The Gelasian Sacramentary, Ancient Christian Devotional Year C, p. 237.
[2] Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), 187–188.
[3] Matthew Henry and Thomas Scott, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997), Lk 17:11.
[4] “Contentment,” The Valley of Vision, p. 163.
