Articles
Where Are the Nine?
The gospel accounts do so much to teach us about Jesus. They describe His teaching, His character, His power, and His love. They also teach us about ourselves. By looking at the people and how they dealt with Jesus in person, we can often see ourselves and the places where we need to grow.
In Luke 17:11-19 there is an account of Jesus healing ten lepers that holds many lessons for all of us. We can easily see four ideas that are worth reflecting on today and all days.
“While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’” (vss. 11-13) Those who realize the plight of their illness will reach out to Jesus in humility, trusting His mercy. These men knew the Jewish leprosy regulations kept them outside of the congregation (Leviticus 13:45; Numbers 5:2), but they knew that the Master held the key to their healing. They cried out to Him as their only hope.
“When He saw them, He said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they were going, they were cleansed.” (vs. 14) Not only does Jesus faithfully extend the healing the men cried out for, but He also respects the right of the congregation to know they had been healed. (Leviticus 14:1-32) Jesus commanded the men to take action even before any healing had occurred, but in obeying the men saw that Jesus’ power to heal was manifested. There was not high and impressive ritual, but simple obedience. However, that obedience was effective.
“Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan.” (vss. 15-16) Although Jewish purity rites kept them from associating with Samaritans, (John 4:9) when there is a shared sickness, other divisions between people fade. In this event, we can see that a man who had been an outcast, and doubly so, was so overcome with joy at his healing, he hastened to give praise and worship. Not only was this man previously not connected to Jewish culture or religion, but he was forced to be away from all who were healthy. All of that had been reversed. What a reason to praise God!
“Then Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?’ And He said to him, ‘Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.’” (vss. 17-19) By deciding that worship was important after such healing, the Samaritan shamed those who had previously been a part of the “right” religion. There are many who have been healed by Jesus in His mercy, but not all are ready to show the importance of that healing with their active worship.
How will Jesus answer us based on our response to His healing? Will we be like the thankful foreigner whose faith was effective? Will we be like the absent nine with the Lord inquiring after our presence?
