KJV - Luke 17:11-19 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. (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. (19) And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
NIV - Luke 17:11-19 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. (12) As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance (13) and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” (14) When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. (15) One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. (16) He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. (17) Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? (18) Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (19) Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
From the earliest ages that a child learns to speak, one of the first things that we teach them is to say “please” and “thank-you”. Without saying please when making a request of someone, makes that request sound like a command or order. That is not what you want to hear coming from a toddler’s mouth. For that matter, do you really want to be ordered around by anyone?
Similarly, failing to say “thank-you” after a kind act is not much better. Failing to show appreciation, no matter how big or small the act, can appear arrogant. There is a subtle feeling of “you owed that to me” when a simple “thank you” goes unsaid. In short. the lack of proper manners comes across as just plain selfish.
In our text today, Jesus crosses paths with 10 lepers. Remember, Jesus lived and preached in Israel, so these men would have been guided by the Law of Moses.
Leviticus 13:9 When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest;
It was the priest that had the sole responsibility of looking at the infected site of a skin irritation and declaring if it were leprosy or not. If the priests declared that one had it, it was official and they were declared unclean and was an outcast to the community. That is why the 10 lepers were together. They had suffered as social outcasts together. If after having this ailment, the priest saw that it had healed, they could declare you clean again and you could go back to your life. This is why, when Jesus healed these 10 men, he told them all to go show themselves to the priest. It was then and only then that they could be regain the life that they once had.
Once given that order by Jesus, they all went their way to regain their place in society. Except the one. The one, single, lonely person turned back to give thanks. We could make all kinds of excuses and justifications for what they did. They wanted to see their families. They left their wives and children in a bind and wanted to assist them. But when it is said and done, nothing really explains their behavior.
Even Jesus noted the absence of the other men. Likewise, I believe God notices every single time that we too receive a blessing from him and do not take but a moment and acknowledge it. EVERY single blessing we must realize comes from God.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Let us always be mindful of what God does for us and take but a moment to express to him our gratitude!.
Reflecting His SON,
Dennis Hogan
Minister, North Hardin Church of Christ
1804 Sam Stewart Dr.
Radcliff, KY 40160
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