Though I fervently believe them, I am very leery of ‘Bible stories.’  Like ‘bedtime stories,’ the term suggests make-believe, the stuff of legends, tall tales, and fables—in a word, fiction.  In the case of the Bible however, the taint of unreality is wholly undeserved.

The following is not a fairytale, but an eyewitness account, set down within the same generation, recounting real events that actually transpired.  The fact that it is recorded in the Bible points to, rather than detracts from, its veracity.  It is not, as the reader will see, idealized, embellished or exaggerated in any way.  On the contrary, it has the ring of truth, in part because the portrait that it paints is unflattering. 

^“And it came to pass, as he [Jesus] went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.  And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.  And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?  There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.  And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole” (Luke 17:11-19).

Galilee is in northern Israel, Jerusalem in the south.  On the natural route from one to the other was Samaria.  Between Samaritans and Jews was a mutual contempt and dislike that formed an invisible barrier.  It was not uncommon for Jews in transit to go out of their way to avoid, if possible, traveling through Samaria.  But Jesus passed through “in the midst.”

He heard the shouts of the lepers before He saw them.  They cried out to Jesus “as he entered” the village.  Since their disease barred them from passing freely through the gates, they had to get Jesus’ attention before He gained entrance or risk losing their opportunity.

The lepers “stood afar off” as a form of first century ‘social distancing’, due to the villagers’ dread of contagion.  They were outcasts, untouchables, unwelcome in the extreme.  They hailed Jesus as “Master,” and begged Him, “have mercy on us!”  No one else did.  Jesus turned toward the sound, saw them, and spoke to them.

At some point, He told these unfortunates to go and present themselves to the priests.  [According to the law of Moses, the priests were supposed to examine those who claimed to have recovered from certain ailments and conditions, to verify that they truly were restored and posed no danger to the community.]

Jesus’ instruction had to have left the men confused, not to say discouraged.  What was the point of sending a whole group of lepers to seek confirmation of a healing that hadn’t occurred?  The men could see that their appearance had not changed.  What did this mean?  What would they say to the priests?  What was Jesus playing at?  This band of brothers in suffering (Jews did not normally associate with Samaritans) obeyed, despite their perplexity and dejection at not being instantly cured.

To trust Jesus and obey Him when it seems to make no sense, takes great faith.  Great faith requires exercise.  The afflicted were told to put their faith into action.  Jesus said, “go,” so go they must.  He directed them to show themselves to the priests.  They would do so at once.  For the moment it seemed, there was nothing more to be said.  The leper’s burning questions would just have to wait.

Yet their circumstances began to change once they actually started walking in obedience to Christ’s command.  As they kept putting one foot in front of the other, they received a direct answer from Jesus to their pleas for mercy.  It came in the form of the miracle for which they had scarcely dared to hope.  “As they went, they were cleansed!”

The full meaning of the title “Master,” which they had accorded to Jesus now hit home in a new, potent, and profoundly compassionate way.  Divine deliverance!  Health, social standing, full rights and personal freedom restored!  Oh, happy day!  And they owed it all to Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior!  Or at least one of them thought so…

“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.”

A whole group miraculously healed by God incarnate, and ONE man, a single, solitary soul turns back to give the Healer thanks.  His gratitude is genuine—his voice is “loud” as he glorifies God (the whole purpose of the healings); he prostrates himself on the ground at the feet of the Jewish Messiah, giving Him thanks—”…and he was a Samaritan.”

Jesus is incredulous.  Though nothing surprises Him, He cannot help but marvel.  His question begs an answer: ‘Weren’t ten cleansed?  Where are the other nine?!’  This question hangs in the air as Jesus asks another: ‘Was no one found to return and give thanks to God, except this stranger?’ [a non-Jew].

The questions are rhetorical.  Jesus speaks them out in order to highlight the shocking and sad reality.  Then, He graciously releases the man lying face down in front of Him, praising God.  ‘You may get up and be on your way,’ Jesus tells him.  “Your faith has made you whole.”

Jesus here refers to more than bodily wellness, more even than to the condition of the man’s soul.  He is talking about the entire person, the totality of the man’s being.

Jesus is NOT suggesting that faith is an impersonal force, nor that its power resided within the man himself, as if it were an attribute or faculty of his own.  Jesus instead makes clear that it is the object of the man’s faith—Jesus Christ—that is the difference maker.  Misplaced trust achieves nothing and always leads to disappointment and trouble.  The man who returned thanks was not cleansed BECAUSE he trusted.  He was healed because of WHOM he trusted.

And what about you?  Are you part of the 10% or the 90%?  Is your life loudly giving God glory?   Have you returned to Him again and again, falling on your face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks and praise for dying on the cross for YOUR sins?  Or have you taken God’s grace for granted, leaving Jesus far behind, without so much as a backward glance?  Is what God has done for you through Christ so little that you deem Him undeserving of hearty thanks and confident trust?

Or is it something else?  Has God failed to do something that you asked of Him?  Has your Creator thereby committed an unforgiveable sin, in your eyes?  Has God blown His last chance with you?  Then why expect unlimited chances from Him?  Surely you realize that He would do you no favors by submitting to YOUR will and following YOUR plan.  Why haven’t you surrendered to HIS will and started following HIS plan for your life?  You can see the way things are going.  What is holding you back?

Is there something MORE that God must do to prove Himself to you, something more that He must give you than the sacrifice of His only Son in YOUR place?  He has already demonstrated His love for you in astonishing and unmistakable ways.  He stands ready, willing, and able to forgive your countless transgressions—both the evil you have done and the good that you have neglected to do.  If you believe in His mercy, is there any reason not to accept his undeserved goodness toward you?  I pray that you will let nothing stand in your way.  Don’t be afraid.  God will help you.

I have mentioned God’s readiness to forgive, but what about your readiness to humble yourself and receive the gift of pardon Jesus laid down His life to give you?  He paid your ransom in full, with His own blood.  Are you willing to repent of your sins and confess Jesus as your Savior and Lord?  If so, read on.

HOW TO BE SAVED:

• Admit to God that you are a sinner (that you have not kept His moral law to perfection; in your thoughts, words, and actions you have done what His law forbids and have failed to do what His love demands).  This is seeing yourself from God’s point of view and agreeing that He is right about you.  Be as specific as you can.
• Believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and that God raised Him from the dead.
• Sincerely repent (turn away) from your sins, asking God to forgive you and to use His power to help you resist temptation, no matter how strong the pull of sin may be, at first.
• Acknowledge Jesus as the Lord of your life.  Invite Him to move into your heart and take up residence there, so that He can change you from the inside out.
• Trust His promise to save you and give you a new spiritual birth and a new nature (thoughts, desires, priorities, hopes, dreams, and character).

SOME KEY TRUTHS:

• “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  (Romans 3:23)
• “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.”  (Romans 3:10)
• “For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23)
• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)
• “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)
• “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”  (I Corinthians 15:3,4)
• “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12)
• “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him…”  (Revelation 3:20)
• “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  (Romans 10:13)
• “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”  (Romans 10:9-10)
• “Verily, verily, I say unto you; He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life; and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”  (John 5:24)
• “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life through his name.”  (John 20:31) 
• “These things I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”  (I John 5:13)