Testament of God’s Healing Love in Every Season
Shared on January 19, 2025
Introduction
On this journey, we will have trials, tribulations, and afflictions and need a healing touch. Who will you turn to in those times? Who will always be there for you? Many of us will turn to family and friends, right? There are going to be times when they may not be able to help you. Where others may let you down, abandon, or cast you out, God will never fail you – He will always be there for you to lift you up.
Jesus Comes to Outcasts
As Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem, He came across a village between Samaria and Galilee (Luke 17:11). It is noted that there were ten lepers standing afar off – outside of the village. Why were the lepers outside of the village?
Leprosy is a skin disease that can be contagious. In Leviticus 13:45-46, lepers were considered to be unclean. Lepers would be considered unclean all the days of their leprosy. The Mosaic law instructed that lepers were to dwell alone – outside of the camp.
As you can imagine, leprosy was essentially seen as a curse. This means that lepers were treated as cursed people and as outcasts. In biblical times, leprosy didn’t just go away in a few days, weeks, or months, but rather, it could last for years. For some, leprosy could be a lifetime punishment. You can imagine just how depressing leprosy was to those who had to deal with the disease over such long periods.
What fascinates me is that the lepers clearly knew of Jesus as they called for Him (Luke 17:13). How did they know of Jesus? I imagine that maybe some family or friends, at a distance, were able to tell them about a healer that could heal them.
Let’s note that Jesus did not ignore the calling and cries of the lepers. Do you think those men would have been healed had they not called out for Jesus? The leprosy might have eventually cleared up over a long period of time, but who would want to deal with it for long?
As someone who went through 5 years of doing dialysis, I will tell you there wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t pray for a transplant. The average time of getting a kidney transplant during that time frame was over ten years! Whether you believe it or not, prayer does work. I do believe my faith in the Lord helped to speed up the process.
Healing the Ten Lepers
Jesus instructed them to show themselves to the priests (Luke 17:14). Why did Jesus give them these instructions?
In Leviticus 13, the law stated that one was to be examined by the priest to see whether they had leprosy or not. If one was found to have leprous sores that had spread, they would be cast out. If the leprosy had managed to go away, the priest would once again examine to give the approval of being ‘all clean’.
So, why do you think Jesus instructed the ten lepers to go to the priests? Jesus gave them this instruction because He had answered their prayers. I want to note that Jesus didn’t lay hands on them to be healed. I don’t point this out to say that Jesus was afraid of touching the lepers. I point this out because we often feel that we have to see God do something in order to believe.
Not only had Jesus not touched them, but Jesus didn’t even say “you are healed”. I am pointing these things out for us because many feel that they have to see or hear for themselves in order to believe. Many doubt that God is with them because they can’t see His works or hear his voice.
We must understand that faith is not what we can see or hear for ourselves. As Paul said, hope that is seen is not hope (Rom. 8:24). No, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1). These teachings are shared through the enlightenment of Christ who taught the Samaritan woman that one must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).
You will find yourself in far greater affliction and tribulation if you move with the mindset that you need to see God work in order to believe. We often fail to realize that our eyes can deceive us into believing the lies and deceptions of the devil. You see, the devil knows that you look for signs and will often feed you false signs. We must walk by spirit and trust that God is always with us and supporting us on this journey.
Grateful for God’s Healing Love
Now, the lepers certainly would have known what it meant for Jesus to tell them to see the priests.
Scripture tells us that one of them saw that he was healed and returned to glorify God with a loud voice and give thanks (Luke 17:15-16). This man had immediately ran with the others to go see the priests but then he had a moment of realization. In that moment, he returned and glorified God with much thanksgiving.
What about the other nine men? Well, they didn’t turn back around to glorify God and give thanks.
What does that say about the nine other men? It certainly shows a lack of gratitude. Even worse is the implication that the nine men were Jews while the one that remained was a Samaritan. The Jews believed themselves above the Samaritans in that they saw themselves as holy and the Samaritans unholy. The Jews essentially ostracized the Samaritans from being among them, which makes it extra interesting that there was a Samaritan man within this group.
History shows us that the Samaritans were born through the coming together of Israelites and Gentiles in the northern kingdom. This coming together was seen as an abomination to the Jews which led to the Jews looking down on them.
Though they were frowned upon by the Jews, the Samaritans often seemed to walk closer to the way of God than the Jews. The Samaritan woman treated Jesus in a manner of curiosity and learned from Him compared to the religious leaders of the Jews who were more hostile. The good Samaritan that Jesus spoke of in a parable that I believe was a real story is another example of one that moved in the way of God (Luke 10:25-37).
God’s children should give thanks
There is a sense of disappointment that Jesus had in the nine men that didn’t stop to give thanks but immediately ran off in their blessing (Luke 17:17).
Shouldn’t we give thanks to God for what He does for us when we have called on Him? Shouldn’t we give thanks to God for helping us in our time of need? Shouldn’t we give thanks to God for always being with us, healing, and supporting us in our distress? Thanksgiving should always be a part of the child of God every day of the year and not just when we get down to November.
Jesus could have easily ignored the lepers just like He could easily ignore us and allow us to suffer in our troubles. We often overlook God’s blessings and see them as being common. Every day that we are able to breathe and move should be seen as a miracle. Every time we come out on the other side of our troubles should be seen as a blessing from God.
When we don’t give thanks to God for all He does in our life, we are treating Him as a common object we use every day in our life. Again, God could easily allow life to have its natural patterns for us without ever intervening. Do you know where you would be today without God’s support and healing? I know for a fact that I would be lost and long gone from this world.
The reward of faith
Recognize that Jesus gave an ‘extra’ blessing to the Samaritan man that returned, gave thanks and praised Him. Jesus said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well (Luke 17:19).”
Is this to say that the others had not been made well? In this case, there is a difference between “being healed” and “made well”. When we take a look at Luke 17:14, we are specifically told that the men were cleansed (or healed) of their leprosy. So, the nine other men were certainly healed and no longer lepers.
The Samaritans faith had made him well, in the sense that he was restored whole. The Samaritan was made well in his soul. Jesus had not only cleansed him of his leprosy but He had also cleansed him in his soul.
Such kind of healing still takes place in the world today. Yes, there are many who are restored to health physically and can even live healthy and long lives. However, there is a spiritual healing that is only available to all of those that go to the Lord in faith.
Yes, many have called on God to do something for them, and after it’s done, they’ve never returned. Such faith has its reward but there is a far greater prize that God gives to those who are of sincere faith. The greatest healing is that of the soul which God gives to those who come to Him.
This lesson shows us, once again, that God loves all people – outcasts and all. The Samaritan man was an outcast in his society in at least two ways. Yet, Jesus still loved Him, had mercy on him, healed him, and made him well. We should live knowing that such love does exist and we should seek to receive of that love from the Lord.
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