One In Ten

A little background before I start:  First, the Jewish people did not generally have anything to do with Samaritans because they were viewed as a mixed race that practiced pagan-type religions.  Second, when someone had leprosy, they had to stay apart from others because they were considered unclean.  Third, if/when they were cured/healed they then were to present themselves to the priests for a declaration that they were now clean and could freely move about in society again.  Moving on…

This morning when I had my devotional time, this was the scripture that it was based on – Luke 17:11-19 (ERV):  “Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem. He went from Galilee to Samaria. He came into a small town, and ten men met him there. They did not come close to him, because they all had leprosy. But the men shouted, ‘Jesus! Master! Please help us!’  When Jesus saw the men, he said, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’  While the ten men were going to the priests, they were healed.  When one of them saw that he was healed, he went back to Jesus. He praised God loudly. He bowed down at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. (He was a Samaritan.) Jesus said, ‘Ten men were healed; where are the other nine? This man is not even one of our people. Is he the only one who came back to give praise to God?’  Then Jesus said to the man, ‘Stand up! You can go. You were healed because you believed.’”

The author’s focus for the devotional was on faith, but what really stood out to me was how only the one in ten returned to thank Jesus and offer praise for the healing that he had received – and, he was not even a Jew, he was a Samaritan.  

It caused me to consider how for most of my life, I have likely been more like those nine that were healed, then just moved on with their lives, without consideration for the blessing(s) that had been received.  Do I take the time to be fully grateful for all that God blesses me with every day?  Or, do I take my blessings and just move on through life taking for granted all the good in my life?

I believe that unfortunately, for most of my life I was probably more like those nine.  But the past few years I have started being much more aware of how very blessed my life has always been.  God graciously saved me from myself SO many times (especially when I was young and “stupid”) and I am very grateful for that.  I try to remember to thank Him for that every day in my prayer time.   

I know that a few months ago in one of my blogs I said something like this – if you woke up tomorrow and only had what you remembered to thank God for the day before, what would you have?  I do not remember where I saw or heard that thought, but it had a huge impact on me.  Therefore, every day I thank God for my home, my car, clothes to wear, food to eat, nice things that make my life more comfortable, money in the bank to pay my bills and my health – but mostly importantly I thank Him for my family and my friends – then I zero in on specifics.  I hope that now I am living my life more as that one man did – full of thanksgiving and praise.  

How about you?  Are you one in ten?

Written by Karran Martin – October 25, 2022