One day, Jesus entered a village and was met by ten people who were suffering from the horrible illness of leprosy. Standing at a distance, they called to Him for help because they had heard of His power to heal.
Jesus could have cured them in that moment, but instead, He told them to go and show themselves to the priests, whose job it would be to pronounce them “clean” from their infectious skin disease. But they were not clean yet.
I wonder what they said to each other as they walked away from Jesus, still as sick as before. Then suddenly, it happened. As they walked along, their bodies were healed; their leprosy was gone!
Most of the group continued on their way, but one man turned back to thank Jesus. The Lord asked, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?” He then said to the man, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” I believe that Jesus was actually referring to his spiritual healing. While the other nine were cleansed from leprosy, this tenth person, in turning to Jesus, was also cleansed from sin.
As we approach another Thanksgiving, I think Jesus is still asking, “Where are the nine?” (Luke 17:17) It’s not just about stopping to say “Thank You,” as important as that is. It’s about turning to Jesus in faith, being forgiven for our sin, and giving our lives back to Him in gratitude.
Pastor Kent Babbey
Blenheim Baptist Church