Luke 17:15-19, “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”
Here is the reality of this story. All the lepers were in the same position. All prayed and all were healed. Yet only one of the ten returned to offer thanksgiving to Jesus. This man saw a reason to praise God, he was grateful. He saw the difference Jesus had made. And he used the opportunity to praise God.
Many of us see our need to pray but rarely do we see the need to praise.
“Where are the other nine?” Jesus asks. I have no doubt that after they were declared clean by the priest they made their way to be with their family and their friends. To be able to hug and kiss their wife and the children must have been heavenly. To visit their Mother and father, to talk with friends caused their minds to get occupied. They were so focused on all that the healing had brought to their lives.
One wanted to enjoy the blessing just as much as the others. But one had his priorities in order. One did not get so wrapped up in the blessing that he forgot the blesser. One put family, friends and fellowship on hold so that he could worship the one that transformed his life.
Notice that with a loud voice he glorified God. With the same loudness and intensity he cried for mercy, he glorified God. Many times we cry aloud for help and hardly with the same loudness do we praise. But this man with the same zeal he sought help he praised Jesus. And he fell down on his face at Jesus’s feet, giving him thanks; and did you know he was a Samaritan? He was not a Jew, he was not worthy of this healing. And he got more than the others did. They received physical healing from a distance. But this one not only received physical healing but he was made whole. I believe his limbs that had fallen out due to the leprosy had been recreated simply because he took time to go and thank Jesus. He not only received physical but spiritual healing as well.
When we take time to thank God for our healing we will receive far more than we expect. So right now stop whatever your doing to whisper a thank you to God with a grateful heart.
