5^th & 6^th September

Weekend Edition

“One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet thanking Him for what He had done. This man was a Samaritan.”

Luke 17:15-16

The Lord is gracious, kind and compassionate. His love for the lost runs deep and wide. He showed that when He came to the earth in human form. Yet how often do we thank God for the kindness, grace and compassion He shows? Furthermore, is thanks on our lips when He so lovingly answers our prayers? Is our thankfulness ‘shout’ louder than our cries for help?

As we return to this passage in Luke 17 we read that unfortunately, only one of the 10 lepers that were healed in this passage took the time to thank Jesus for His healing. The one man’s response is of someone who knew that Jesus was more than just a healer. As the man approached Jesus, He fell to the floor at His feet, shouting “Praise God!!!” What a response. A healed man, recognising his healing was from God and falling at the feet of Jesus in gratitude.

Yet Luke includes an important piece of information. This man was a Samaritan! Not only was he an outcast because of his disease but also because of his race. A Samaritan leper was surely the biggest outcast in Jesus’ time. Yet Jesus saw straight through his earthly identity and saw the man how He created him to be and in response to Jesus’ loving and kind heart towards him, he returned and gave thanks to Jesus for all that He had done.

Jesus, is as alive today as He was when this story happened 2000 years ago. His healing power is a true today and it was then. Let us believe God for His healing and remember to thank Him. For in thanks, even more blessing are received. Thankfulness enables our heart to recognise God’s goodness. Let us cry out to God in thanksgiving; not just in our requests. God answers our prayers and deserves our thankfulness.

Sometimes thankfulness means you need to stand out from the crowd!