Luke 17:12-18
12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. |
Isn't this Bible story interesting? It makes us ask the question, why did only one return and thank God? Let's look at it together. All ten were equal. They all had the same disease of leprosy. They all had the same prognosis. They were all considered unclean and were not allowed to have contact with other people. They all were healed by Jesus; the miracle was not performed by the hands of the high priest or a physician.
I think the Samaritan returned because he had a different perspective. Webster dictionary defines perspective as the attitude someone has toward something or someone, and it can also be defined as a point of view. The Bible says when "he saw he was healed", when the leper realized he was healed and Jesus did it. He turned around and fell at the feet of Jesus.
The Bible does not say the other nine saw that they were healed, is this possible? Sure it is. There are miraculous things that can't be explained all around us now that we don't see. How about a universe that is fixed in place, yet continuously moving, or oxygen, or what makes my heart beat. How about this one, how do two cells from my parents become a human body with millions of different cells. Who told the cell to form a finger or ear? Can you see now?
Unexplainable miraculous happenings every day, near and far, visible and invisible. When my perspective is right I can clearly see the handiwork of God. To many times we take things for granted that the Lord personally did for us.
I was recently in a conference and the evangelist gave an altar call with a strong emphasis on giving thanks to God. As I stood I saw a lady out of the corner of my eye head toward the altar. She had a very distinct limp, and her leg would not bend at the knee. I don't know what caused it, or how long she had been suffering from this condition. I do know when she arrived at the altar, she could not kneel but had to brace herself against the communion table and pray.
The preacher said, "God's been good", and she nodded her head in agreement and raised both of her hands toward heaven. That very moment my perspective changed. I was watching a lady with a disabled leg praise God, and I walked in the church on two healthy legs, without thanking God. I realized how blessed I was to have two hands to raise, a voice that could speak, and ears that could hear. I stepped out into the aisle and KNELT at the altar and thanked God for being good. You see? It is all about perspective, how we see things. Maybe if we have lost our awe, or shout of joy we need a fresh perspective.
Pastor Ken Smith
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