Ungrateful Series

It’s interesting that it took a simple act of obedience. Jesus told them to go, so they went. Some may have gone out of hopelessness and fear, while others may have had a lion’s share of faith and hope. The bottom line is that they went! They didn’t stick around and ask Jesus to save them a couple of steps. He had a reason for making this a miracle on the fly.

I would have enjoyed being present when that priest looked at them. He surely must have known them as part of the local community of lepers and beggars. Perhaps he had even thrown them some food or clothing as an act of charity. But today, ten healthy and whole men stood before him. He had no choice but to pronounce them “CLEAN!”

Imagine the thoughts that were running through their minds. They could now go find their families, they could begin rebuilding their lives. They were no longer to be ostracized but they could re-join society, begin to earn money and support themselves!

It was a whole new life they had stepped into, and it was time to get busy living it!

These men must have been ecstatic. Immediately each one began to make his own plan. It was like winning the lottery, and a whole knew life was here at their doorstep; all they needed to do was to walk in it.

Nine of them went their way, oblivious to the real truth of what had just happened. Oh sure, they were thankful, they just for one reason or another got distracted. They would always remember Jesus as that really nice Rabbi who helped them out one day. But that day of restoration would become a foggy memory. They would never really forget it, but it wasn’t that important. What was important was this new life, this new chance to be ME, to have some pleasure and to participate in all that society has to offer.

One preacher got inside their heads and figured that nine of them may have been thinking like this:

• One waited to see if the cure was real.

• One waited to see if it would last.

• One said he would see Jesus later.

• One decided that he had never had leprosy

One said he would have gotten well anyway.

• One gave the glory to the priests.

• One said, "O, well, Jesus didn’t really do anything."

• One said, "Any rabbi could have done it."

• One said, "I was already much improved."

Ultimately, they paid lip service to “thankfulness” but they were-ungrateful.

But then came the one. As he left the priest’s office, his thoughts of new life were quieted by something called gratitude. He became profoundly aware of what had just happened and he considered the true implications. This stranger named Jesus had answered their cry for mercy-with MERCY. He cut through all the emotion and the human explanation and he realized-this man is the Son of the Living God and He healed me, He gave me back my life.

I picture him with tears streaming down his face as the true weight of this day settle in on him. He realized that before He could do anything else, before he could make another step into this new life, he owed a debt-and he must pay it.