And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
The words were spoken to one of ten lepers who cried for mercy and were told to go show themselves to the priests, and who were cleansed as they went in obedience to that word. Only one came back, a Samaritan stranger, falling at Jesus' feet with loud praise and thanksgiving while the other nine went on without giving glory to God. To him alone was it said that his faith had made him whole, because his faith took hold of Christ as Son of God and Redeemer of soul and body and acted on His word. That wholeness was cleansing of the sinsick soul at the same time as cleansing of the body, while the nine were healed in body only and remained defiled in soul because their healing did not lead them to believe. Grateful return is therefore part of the faith that makes whole, for ingratitude closes the heart against grace while remembering, praising God, and testifying strengthens faith and lays renewed obligation to use restored health for Him.
The Ten Lepers Healed
The healing belongs to ten lepers corrupted by loathsome disease and shut out from society under limits prescribed by authority lest they contaminate others, who cried to Jesus when He came in sight as the only one with power to relieve them. He did not heal them on the spot but bade them show themselves to the priests, and they had faith to start on their way believing in His power to heal. They trusted His power enough to obey His instruction and go, and as they went the horrible disease left them and they were cleansed and entirely restored.
Of the ten so cleansed only one felt gratitude and deep indebtedness and returned, and he was a Samaritan stranger while the other nine were Jews who passed on without appreciating the work and rendering no grateful thanks. He came back praising God on the way, with a loud voice glorifying God, and falling on his face at Jesus' feet in greatest humiliation with thankfulness to thank Him. The others received cleansing but went away forgetting the One who healed them.
Jesus asked where the nine were and why only the stranger returned to give glory to God. He then told the thankful one to arise and go on his way, affirming that his faith had made him whole. That closing word sent the grateful Samaritan on his way with the assurance of wholeness for his grateful return.
Faith That Makes Whole
Faith in Christ makes a person whole through simple, growing, active faith that takes hold of God's promises and trusts Christ's word, so that as such faith is exercised the promised reality comes to the believer. That faith recognized Christ as the only begotten Son of God and the Sin Pardoner, and as the Redeemer of both soul and body. In the Samaritan who returned, wholeness meant body and soul together, for his sin-sick soul was cleansed, pardoned and restored from sin at the same time his body was cleansed of leprosy. This wholeness was proved by its fruit, in that he turned back, glorified God with a loud voice, and fell at Jesus' feet in thanksgiving.
The other nine were healed in body only, because their cleansing did not lead them to believe and the sins of the soul still defiled them. Healing of disease is therefore no evidence that the sins of the soul are healed. It is acting faith followed by grateful return that makes whole, for the Samaritan's faith was joined to appreciation of the healing in his return alone of the ten to give God glory. Those who recognize and value God's gift in this way honor the Lord, while people who receive great mercy without gratitude fail to appreciate and value the gracious work.
Though a despised outsider and a Samaritan stranger, the one who returned became an example of faith and a witness to Christ, showing the significance of Christ's mercy toward Samaritans. His return expressed gratitude and appreciation for divine love and restoration, in contrast to the nine who went on their way without acknowledging God and Jesus as their healer. Ingratitude closes the heart against grace, while remembering and acknowledging God's goodness and giving personal testimony in praise and thanksgiving strengthens faith and can help lead others to salvation.
Gratitude and Faithful Service
Restored health lays a renewed obligation to the Creator, so the one who receives healing mercy is to remember the blessing, return to find Jesus, and openly give God glory, praise and thanks. Of the ten cleansed only one came back to give God glory, while the nine went on unthinking with hearts untouched by mercy and forgot the gift and the Giver. Those who recover from sickness are therefore not to forget their Creator or the blessings enjoyed, but to acknowledge His kindness and mercy with gratitude.
All ten were healed for the sake of the one who would make right use of restored health by appreciating the blessing, giving thanks, and making it a reason to praise God and acknowledge Christ's work. The nine received healing without gratitude, but the one grateful man turned the blessing into praise. Efforts to help and heal are therefore worthwhile even when only a few appreciate the help or benefit from it, and success in healing work is not measured by the gratitude of the many. Labor is worthwhile even if only one soul accepts the gospel of grace and is uplifted and ennobled and fitted to shine in the courts of the Lord.
Physicians and helpers must not grow weary, disgusted, complaining, discouraged, or cease efforts for one suffering soul when labor seems thrown away on those who ruined themselves by sinful indulgence or violation of natural law and will not use regained strength to bless society or return to self-indulgence. They are to keep pity, sympathy and patience as Christ pitied weakness and touched the most loathsome disease and bade disease give back, and not fail nor be discouraged when health is restored to no real benefit. They should feel grateful and satisfied and take courage and thank God if one out of twenty makes right use of benefits and appreciates the effort. If one life out of ten is saved and one soul out of one hundred is saved in the kingdom of God all anxiety and care are amply repaid, for Christ would have chosen His life of toil and humiliation and death of shame to save even one soul, and saving one gives cause for rejoicing.
The nine who did not return correctly picture Sabbath-keeping patients who receive much attention, often at reduced prices or without pay, and who should recognize the anxiety and discouragement of physicians and be the last to add unnecessary care and burdens. Yet they are frequently the hardest to manage, the most free to complain and question management, to burden physicians, and to speak disparagingly of the means and methods used for recovery, and the least appreciative and supportive. Strangers, worldlings and professed Christians of other denominations picture the one thankful stranger, appreciating efforts made for recovery and exerting a better and stronger favorable influence for the work on returning home. The Lord regards ungrateful Sabbath-keepers as He regarded the nine lepers, while physicians should follow Christ's pattern, not become weary when only one among a large number is grateful and exerts a right influence, but thank God and take courage and ask Where are the nine.
The words were spoken to one of ten lepers who cried for mercy and were told to go show themselves to the priests, and who were cleansed as they went in obedience to that word. Only one came back, a Samaritan stranger, falling at Jesus' feet with loud praise and thanksgiving while the other nine went on without giving glory to God. To him alone was it said that his faith had made him whole, because his faith took hold of Christ as Son of God and Redeemer of soul and body and acted on His word. That wholeness was cleansing of the sinsick soul at the same time as cleansing of the body, while the nine were healed in body only and remained defiled in soul because their healing did not lead them to believe. Grateful return is therefore part of the faith that makes whole, for ingratitude closes the heart against grace while remembering, praising God, and testifying strengthens faith and lays renewed obligation to use restored health for Him.
The Ten Lepers Healed
The healing belongs to ten lepers corrupted by loathsome disease and shut out from society under limits prescribed by authority lest they contaminate others, who cried to Jesus when He came in sight as the only one with power to relieve them. He did not heal them on the spot but bade them show themselves to the priests, and they had faith to start on their way believing in His power to heal. They trusted His power enough to obey His instruction and go, and as they went the horrible disease left them and they were cleansed and entirely restored.
Of the ten so cleansed only one felt gratitude and deep indebtedness and returned, and he was a Samaritan stranger while the other nine were Jews who passed on without appreciating the work and rendering no grateful thanks. He came back praising God on the way, with a loud voice glorifying God, and falling on his face at Jesus' feet in greatest humiliation with thankfulness to thank Him. The others received cleansing but went away forgetting the One who healed them.
Jesus asked where the nine were and why only the stranger returned to give glory to God. He then told the thankful one to arise and go on his way, affirming that his faith had made him whole. That closing word sent the grateful Samaritan on his way with the assurance of wholeness for his grateful return.
Faith That Makes Whole
Faith in Christ makes a person whole through simple, growing, active faith that takes hold of God's promises and trusts Christ's word, so that as such faith is exercised the promised reality comes to the believer. That faith recognized Christ as the only begotten Son of God and the Sin Pardoner, and as the Redeemer of both soul and body. In the Samaritan who returned, wholeness meant body and soul together, for his sin-sick soul was cleansed, pardoned and restored from sin at the same time his body was cleansed of leprosy. This wholeness was proved by its fruit, in that he turned back, glorified God with a loud voice, and fell at Jesus' feet in thanksgiving.
The other nine were healed in body only, because their cleansing did not lead them to believe and the sins of the soul still defiled them. Healing of disease is therefore no evidence that the sins of the soul are healed. It is acting faith followed by grateful return that makes whole, for the Samaritan's faith was joined to appreciation of the healing in his return alone of the ten to give God glory. Those who recognize and value God's gift in this way honor the Lord, while people who receive great mercy without gratitude fail to appreciate and value the gracious work.
Though a despised outsider and a Samaritan stranger, the one who returned became an example of faith and a witness to Christ, showing the significance of Christ's mercy toward Samaritans. His return expressed gratitude and appreciation for divine love and restoration, in contrast to the nine who went on their way without acknowledging God and Jesus as their healer. Ingratitude closes the heart against grace, while remembering and acknowledging God's goodness and giving personal testimony in praise and thanksgiving strengthens faith and can help lead others to salvation.
Gratitude and Faithful Service
Restored health lays a renewed obligation to the Creator, so the one who receives healing mercy is to remember the blessing, return to find Jesus, and openly give God glory, praise and thanks. Of the ten cleansed only one came back to give God glory, while the nine went on unthinking with hearts untouched by mercy and forgot the gift and the Giver. Those who recover from sickness are therefore not to forget their Creator or the blessings enjoyed, but to acknowledge His kindness and mercy with gratitude.
All ten were healed for the sake of the one who would make right use of restored health by appreciating the blessing, giving thanks, and making it a reason to praise God and acknowledge Christ's work. The nine received healing without gratitude, but the one grateful man turned the blessing into praise. Efforts to help and heal are therefore worthwhile even when only a few appreciate the help or benefit from it, and success in healing work is not measured by the gratitude of the many. Labor is worthwhile even if only one soul accepts the gospel of grace and is uplifted and ennobled and fitted to shine in the courts of the Lord.
Physicians and helpers must not grow weary, disgusted, complaining, discouraged, or cease efforts for one suffering soul when labor seems thrown away on those who ruined themselves by sinful indulgence or violation of natural law and will not use regained strength to bless society or return to self-indulgence. They are to keep pity, sympathy and patience as Christ pitied weakness and touched the most loathsome disease and bade disease give back, and not fail nor be discouraged when health is restored to no real benefit. They should feel grateful and satisfied and take courage and thank God if one out of twenty makes right use of benefits and appreciates the effort. If one life out of ten is saved and one soul out of one hundred is saved in the kingdom of God all anxiety and care are amply repaid, for Christ would have chosen His life of toil and humiliation and death of shame to save even one soul, and saving one gives cause for rejoicing.
The nine who did not return correctly picture Sabbath-keeping patients who receive much attention, often at reduced prices or without pay, and who should recognize the anxiety and discouragement of physicians and be the last to add unnecessary care and burdens. Yet they are frequently the hardest to manage, the most free to complain and question management, to burden physicians, and to speak disparagingly of the means and methods used for recovery, and the least appreciative and supportive. Strangers, worldlings and professed Christians of other denominations picture the one thankful stranger, appreciating efforts made for recovery and exerting a better and stronger favorable influence for the work on returning home. The Lord regards ungrateful Sabbath-keepers as He regarded the nine lepers, while physicians should follow Christ's pattern, not become weary when only one among a large number is grateful and exerts a right influence, but thank God and take courage and ask Where are the nine.