In Luke 17:14, there’s a story about Jesus healing ten lepers. Perhaps, like me, you have heard wonderful sermons about the one Samaritan leper who returned to give thanks to Jesus for the healing. The other nine lepers did what Jesus had told them to do…they had gone to show themselves to the priests.
Now get this! They went away before they had even been healed! On faith, they started their trek to the priests, and on their way, they were cleansed of their disease. They continued their journey to the temple, because after all, that’s what Jesus had told them to do—”Go show yourselves to the priests.”
Yup…they continued on…except for that one rogue leper. There’s always that one! He alone went back to Christ. I had always thought, “That’s pretty brave of him considering Jesus had said that they were to go to the priests.”
Maybe I could cut him some slack, though. He probably didn’t know which priest to go see. After all, the Samaritans had different priests than the Jews (Jews and Samaritans didn’t get along). Maybe he didn’t want to pick the wrong guy!
Or maybe…just maybe…he was the only leper who did exactly what he was told to do.
He alone returned to Christ. He glorified God. He fell down at the feet of Jesus and gave Him thanks.
Tonight, I read Hebrews 4:14, which says that we have a great high priest: Jesus, the Son of God, and I saw that leper differently. The Samaritan leper…he alone…knew the right priest to whom he should show himself. No wonder Jesus says to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Thorns & Thickets 