There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
Ten lepers shut out by loathsome disease cried for mercy, were told to show themselves to the priests, and were cleansed as they went in faith in His power to heal. Of the ten only one came back to give glory to God, and he was a stranger, a despised Samaritan, while the other nine, who were Jews, went on without honoring or thanking Him. The one who returned came praising God aloud and fell on his face at Jesus' feet in humble worship and thanks, acknowledging his deep indebtedness for healing. Jesus asked where the nine were, having healed all ten for the sake of the one He foreknew would appreciate the cleansing, honor the Lord, and make right use of health. His faith made him whole, for the nine were healed in body yet remained unbelieving and defiled in soul, while the grateful stranger was healed in body and soul, showing that soul healing comes only by faith in Jesus as the Pardoner of sin.
The Ten Lepers Cleansed
The ten were corrupted by loathsome disease and shut out from society by prescribed limits lest they contaminate others. When Jesus came in sight they cried to Him for mercy as the only one with power to relieve them. He told them to go show themselves to the priests, and they had faith to start, believing in His power to heal. As they went they were cleansed and realized the horrible disease had left them.
Of the ten cleansed only one returned to give glory to God. That one was a stranger, a despised Samaritan, not a Jew. The other nine were Jews who went on their way without appreciating, honoring, or rendering grateful thanks.
The one who returned came praising God with a loud voice. He fell on his face at Jesus' feet in greatest humiliation, humble worship, and thanks. He acknowledged with thankfulness what was done for him and showed that he felt gratitude and deep indebtedness for the great work of healing.
Jesus asked where the nine were, since only the stranger had returned to give glory to God. He knew beforehand that among the loathsome, apparently worthless ten there was one who would appreciate the cleansing and honor the Lord, and He looked upon that one with tenderest love. He healed the whole ten for the sake of the one man who would appreciate the blessing of health and make a right use of it.
Faith That Makes Whole
The stranger's return to give glory to God belongs together with faith, for his faith made him whole, and this encourages a faith that takes hold of God's promise and brings the promised reality through Jesus. Of the ten cleansed only the Samaritan stranger returned to give glory to God, while the nine were healed of bodily leprosy but did not believe in Christ as the only begotten Son of God, so their sins remained and their souls were still defiled and unhealed. The one who returned with a loud voice glorifying God and giving thanks at Jesus' feet manifested the fruit proving he was healed in body and soul. Physical healing is no evidence that the sins of the soul are healed, and healing of the soul comes only by faith in Jesus Christ as the Sin Pardoner, which takes away sin, pardons and cleanses the sinsick soul, and restores it whole.
His gratitude showed that he recognized Christ as the Redeemer of both soul and body and appreciated divine love. Few people recognize that healing, deliverance, and other blessings come through God's mercies in Jesus Christ, while those who do recognize this respond with praise and thanksgiving, and the nine went on their way without honoring God or Jesus their healer. His response also made him an effective witness to Christ. Remembering and openly confessing God's acts strengthens faith and helps reveal Christ to others, in contrast to receiving the blessing yet forgetting the benefactor and enjoying His gifts without gratitude. His response is a model for those cleansed from sin through Jesus, who should offer praise and give glory to God rather than remain indifferent to His love and gifts, since God's blessings call for expressed gratitude.
Jesus used his response to teach the disciples that a Samaritan could show gratitude and faith, challenging their prejudice and narrow view of whom God could receive. His gratitude helped teach them that Jesus' love for Samaritans remained unchanged despite their rejection of Him, preparing them to carry the gospel to Samaria. The ten represent those who claim to be converted and to whom the living oracles of God with great light have been opened. The nine represent the many who receive Christ's gracious healing work yet do not appreciate it because they do not walk in the light and do not obey a Thus saith the Lord, while the one represents the thankful believer who appreciates God's great gift. Those upon the earth who have the Word of God and do it not are the most guilty, but those who believe the Word and obey it represent Christ, with the truth becoming a part of them as their meat and drink.
Gratitude Required Today
The cleansing of the ten shows how commonly goodness is received without recognition or thanks, for only the Samaritan stranger came back to thank and glorify God while the nine did not return to give thanks. Even those granted many advantages and privileges may answer divine love only feebly, and a grateful response gives glory to God whereas ingratitude and self-sufficiency can shut out the grace and power longed to be given. The lessons drawn from Christ include that people may approve what is good and right and yet find self-denial difficult.
Healing mercy lays a renewed obligation to the Creator that must not be forgotten, and those restored to health should gratefully acknowledge the benefit with remembrance, praise, and thanks rather than enjoying the gift without gratitude. The nine illustrate hearts left unthinking and untouched by mercy, failing to appreciate the healing, while the one who returned to find Jesus and give glory to God made right use of the blessing received. Goodness calls not for silence but for lifting the voice to praise God and proclaim His righteousness.
Workers for suffering humanity should not grow discouraged, disgusted, complaining, or weary, nor lose pity, sympathy, and patience, nor stand aloof, when labor is unappreciated and the healed will not use regained strength to bless others and society but return to the same self-gratification that ruined health. They should pity such ones and keep working as Christ did, who pitied weakness even when disease came through sinful violation of natural law, and who instead of fearing contamination from the most loathsome disease touched the sufferers and commanded the disease to depart. They should feel grateful, satisfied, and amply repaid if one out of twenty makes right use of benefits and appreciates their efforts, if one life out of ten is saved and one soul out of one hundred is saved.
The nine correctly represent Sabbath-keepers who come as patients to the Health Institute receiving much attention and care, even free or reduced-price treatment, yet fail to appreciate it. They ought to realize the anxieties and discouragements of physicians and be last to add unnecessary care and burdens, but they are often the most difficult to manage, the most free to complain, to question the management, to burden physicians, and to speak disparagingly to others of the means employed for recovery while still receiving attention. By contrast the stranger who returned represents worldlings and professed Christians of other denominations who more appreciate efforts for their recovery and when they return home exert a stronger favorable influence for the work. The question where are the nine means why do not all Sabbath-keepers give their interest and support in favor of the Health Institute, and ungrateful complaining Sabbath-keepers are regarded as the nine lepers were.
Ten lepers shut out by loathsome disease cried for mercy, were told to show themselves to the priests, and were cleansed as they went in faith in His power to heal. Of the ten only one came back to give glory to God, and he was a stranger, a despised Samaritan, while the other nine, who were Jews, went on without honoring or thanking Him. The one who returned came praising God aloud and fell on his face at Jesus' feet in humble worship and thanks, acknowledging his deep indebtedness for healing. Jesus asked where the nine were, having healed all ten for the sake of the one He foreknew would appreciate the cleansing, honor the Lord, and make right use of health. His faith made him whole, for the nine were healed in body yet remained unbelieving and defiled in soul, while the grateful stranger was healed in body and soul, showing that soul healing comes only by faith in Jesus as the Pardoner of sin.
The Ten Lepers Cleansed
The ten were corrupted by loathsome disease and shut out from society by prescribed limits lest they contaminate others. When Jesus came in sight they cried to Him for mercy as the only one with power to relieve them. He told them to go show themselves to the priests, and they had faith to start, believing in His power to heal. As they went they were cleansed and realized the horrible disease had left them.
Of the ten cleansed only one returned to give glory to God. That one was a stranger, a despised Samaritan, not a Jew. The other nine were Jews who went on their way without appreciating, honoring, or rendering grateful thanks.
The one who returned came praising God with a loud voice. He fell on his face at Jesus' feet in greatest humiliation, humble worship, and thanks. He acknowledged with thankfulness what was done for him and showed that he felt gratitude and deep indebtedness for the great work of healing.
Jesus asked where the nine were, since only the stranger had returned to give glory to God. He knew beforehand that among the loathsome, apparently worthless ten there was one who would appreciate the cleansing and honor the Lord, and He looked upon that one with tenderest love. He healed the whole ten for the sake of the one man who would appreciate the blessing of health and make a right use of it.
Faith That Makes Whole
The stranger's return to give glory to God belongs together with faith, for his faith made him whole, and this encourages a faith that takes hold of God's promise and brings the promised reality through Jesus. Of the ten cleansed only the Samaritan stranger returned to give glory to God, while the nine were healed of bodily leprosy but did not believe in Christ as the only begotten Son of God, so their sins remained and their souls were still defiled and unhealed. The one who returned with a loud voice glorifying God and giving thanks at Jesus' feet manifested the fruit proving he was healed in body and soul. Physical healing is no evidence that the sins of the soul are healed, and healing of the soul comes only by faith in Jesus Christ as the Sin Pardoner, which takes away sin, pardons and cleanses the sinsick soul, and restores it whole.
His gratitude showed that he recognized Christ as the Redeemer of both soul and body and appreciated divine love. Few people recognize that healing, deliverance, and other blessings come through God's mercies in Jesus Christ, while those who do recognize this respond with praise and thanksgiving, and the nine went on their way without honoring God or Jesus their healer. His response also made him an effective witness to Christ. Remembering and openly confessing God's acts strengthens faith and helps reveal Christ to others, in contrast to receiving the blessing yet forgetting the benefactor and enjoying His gifts without gratitude. His response is a model for those cleansed from sin through Jesus, who should offer praise and give glory to God rather than remain indifferent to His love and gifts, since God's blessings call for expressed gratitude.
Jesus used his response to teach the disciples that a Samaritan could show gratitude and faith, challenging their prejudice and narrow view of whom God could receive. His gratitude helped teach them that Jesus' love for Samaritans remained unchanged despite their rejection of Him, preparing them to carry the gospel to Samaria. The ten represent those who claim to be converted and to whom the living oracles of God with great light have been opened. The nine represent the many who receive Christ's gracious healing work yet do not appreciate it because they do not walk in the light and do not obey a Thus saith the Lord, while the one represents the thankful believer who appreciates God's great gift. Those upon the earth who have the Word of God and do it not are the most guilty, but those who believe the Word and obey it represent Christ, with the truth becoming a part of them as their meat and drink.
Gratitude Required Today
The cleansing of the ten shows how commonly goodness is received without recognition or thanks, for only the Samaritan stranger came back to thank and glorify God while the nine did not return to give thanks. Even those granted many advantages and privileges may answer divine love only feebly, and a grateful response gives glory to God whereas ingratitude and self-sufficiency can shut out the grace and power longed to be given. The lessons drawn from Christ include that people may approve what is good and right and yet find self-denial difficult.
Healing mercy lays a renewed obligation to the Creator that must not be forgotten, and those restored to health should gratefully acknowledge the benefit with remembrance, praise, and thanks rather than enjoying the gift without gratitude. The nine illustrate hearts left unthinking and untouched by mercy, failing to appreciate the healing, while the one who returned to find Jesus and give glory to God made right use of the blessing received. Goodness calls not for silence but for lifting the voice to praise God and proclaim His righteousness.
Workers for suffering humanity should not grow discouraged, disgusted, complaining, or weary, nor lose pity, sympathy, and patience, nor stand aloof, when labor is unappreciated and the healed will not use regained strength to bless others and society but return to the same self-gratification that ruined health. They should pity such ones and keep working as Christ did, who pitied weakness even when disease came through sinful violation of natural law, and who instead of fearing contamination from the most loathsome disease touched the sufferers and commanded the disease to depart. They should feel grateful, satisfied, and amply repaid if one out of twenty makes right use of benefits and appreciates their efforts, if one life out of ten is saved and one soul out of one hundred is saved.
The nine correctly represent Sabbath-keepers who come as patients to the Health Institute receiving much attention and care, even free or reduced-price treatment, yet fail to appreciate it. They ought to realize the anxieties and discouragements of physicians and be last to add unnecessary care and burdens, but they are often the most difficult to manage, the most free to complain, to question the management, to burden physicians, and to speak disparagingly to others of the means employed for recovery while still receiving attention. By contrast the stranger who returned represents worldlings and professed Christians of other denominations who more appreciate efforts for their recovery and when they return home exert a stronger favorable influence for the work. The question where are the nine means why do not all Sabbath-keepers give their interest and support in favor of the Health Institute, and ungrateful complaining Sabbath-keepers are regarded as the nine lepers were.