Luke 17:11-14 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" 14 So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
Jesus was traveling going from town to town preaching and healing. His fame was growing and people from all walks of life heard about this Preacher from Nazareth. Roman soldiers, Lawyers, Priests, Governors, and cripples knew who this “man” was, especially the outcasts of the day heard about Jesus. Tax collectors and sinners called Him friend; He even seen with a harlot or two. Therefore, when this small band saw Jesus walk by they no doubt knew what this Preacher could do for them. They were outcasts because of the disease they had. Lepers had to stay at a distance from “normal” people. They were kept from friends and family because of their disease and could only be social among those who were afflicted in the same way.
When the Lepers saw Jesus, their circumstances compelled them to cry out to Jesus to help them and to save them from their present condition. We are given a valuable lesson in this scripture. We may not be afflicted in the same way as these men, but we all have circumstances in our lives where we are compelled to cry out for help. Some will cry out to alcohol, some will cry to drugs, and yet others will cry out to lusts and passions. The problem is that these “remedies” never heal the broken heart that is tearing you up inside. Many of us face various storms in our lives and this quick fix seems to make you feel better when in reality you are left with an emptiness and guilt. These Lepers knew where to find relief in their lives it was in Jesus only.
Jesus had compassion on them and said go show yourselves to the priest so they could get a clean bill of health so they could return to the “normal” lives they were forced to leave behind. After some time, only one came back and praised God for the wonderful thing that had taken place. This one man knew how to get right physically but he also knew how to get right spiritually. Acknowledging when God does something wonderful in your life is reasonable. Look around at your life no matter what you are dealing with, can you find something to thank Him about? What about those times you have cried out to Jesus and He showed up in a Mighty way? Praise Him today. If you are struggling with a trial, or the storms of life seem to beat you down cry to Jesus today and see if He does not show up in your life.
Tomorrows Readings:
Old Testament: 1 Sam 27-29 New Testament Luke 17:1-19
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