Today’s scripture: Luke 17:11-19 (ESV-text and audio) (KJV) (The Message)
As you read, consider: What might God be saying to me in this passage? Summarize your thoughts in a sentence or two.
My thoughts (Ben Lamb):
“Gotta go, Honey. Have some tissues and tell me about it tonight.” Duck in to Kwik-e-Mart and hear feet tapping in the checkout line; oh, are those your own? “Can’t I nuke my lunch any faster? It’s been in there one minute already!”
Today’s reading made me wonder if the nine non-returning men were using the “got too much to do” excuse to thank Jesus. They seemed to have followed his instruction, however, to “Go show yourselves to the priests” since “…they went [and] were cleansed” of their leprosy.
Then there’s the other guy. He realizes and acknowledges the true source of his healing and immediately zooms straight back to the source: Jesus! Once there, he’s a greedy hog who demands more. (Whoops! I’m thinking of what I’d be doing if I were him.) No, really — this man puts me to shame by the amount of gratitude and praise he showers upon Jesus. I need to take a lesson from him.
The trek back to Jesus was well worth the sandal wear. Jesus points out that all nine men were cleansed of their leprosy, but to this man he says, “…your faith has made you well.” I can’t say for sure what the precise difference is, but “well” seems to have a greater depth of meaning than “cleansed” to me. I can’t imagine Jesus listening to someone’s genuine praise and then saying something insignificant in reply.
Thought for the day: How often have I been too busy (or so I’ve thought) to take the time to go to Jesus for an additional visit during the day? What may I have missed?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.