Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’” vs.19
Luke 17:15-19
Faith is a big word for the followers of Jesus. We run across it regularly as we read the scriptures and have discovered that it can have a variety of meanings. In this instance, Jesus ascribes it to a Samaritan man who had been healed of his leprosy. Evidently all ten of the lepers had faith, they had trusted the instructions of Jesus and had headed off to see a priest. All of them were healed–their faith seems to have been synonymous with trust–they did what Jesus told them to do. But only the foreigner among them thought to come back and give thanks to Jesus. The story is familiar. We love to receive the blessings of God, the healings and the prosperity that are a regular part of life for people of faith. There’s probably not a day that goes by that we don’t reap the benefits of life in Christ, but very few seem to connect those gifts with God, and the ones who do often surprise us. It’s the outsiders, the people on the fringes, who are most likely to really “get it.” They make the connection between the graces that have been showered on them and the person of Jesus, and regularly give God thanks and praise. Most of the rest can scarcely even be bothered to worship! It’s not that they don’t have faith–it’s just that they feel entitled rather than grateful!
Thought for the Day: How do I show my gratitude to God?
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