THE TOP 10%

LUKE 17:12-17 NKJ 
12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" 
14 So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. 
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, 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 So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" 19 And He said to him, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well." 

OBSERVATION:

I have always enjoyed this story. It is one that is often mentioned at Thanksgiving, referencing the one leper who returned to give thanks.   

The ten lepers had to stand way off from Jesus in accordance with the Jewish laws of quarantine. Because leprosy is a contagious disease, they were not allowed close contact with uninfected people.   

When they called out for mercy, Jesus gave them a directive that seems strange. He told them to go show themselves to the priests.   

This is a command under Jewish law. When a leper was healed, he had to go to the priest, who was the only one who could declare him clean.   

But these ten men were not clean. But Jesus said go. And as they went, they were cleansed. What a great picture of simple Bible faith. These ten men acted on the words of Jesus, and as they obeyed His words, healing came.   

The only one who returned was a Samaritan. These were half Jewish people who worshipped the same God as the Jews but did not observe the Jewish laws. Jews and Samaritans did not get along well at all.  Religious pride and ethnic prejudice made them enemies.   

Possibly this Samaritan man realized that God had been extra merciful to him. That he was healed along with the Jewish lepers may have been a very moving moment in his life. So, he returned and gave God glory and fell on his face giving thanks to Jesus.   

Jesus appreciated his heart of thanks but wondered where the other nine were. Then He commended the Samaritan for his faith and sent him on his way. He had made the top 10% 

APPLICATION: 

I want to be one of those who acts on God's word before I see or feel anything. And right in line with that faith to act is the heart to give thanks to the Lord for what He had done.   

If the Lord is looking for people of faith and thanksgiving, I want Him to look no further than me and you. I want us to be in that top 10%. 

PRAYER: 

Thank You, Lord, for all You are doing and have done for me.