The Grateful Leper
Luke 17:11-19 (NLT) “11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. 15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.
As we go about our day, it is very easy to forget the obvious things God has done for us. We are very accustomed to the norm: we get up in the morning, get ready for work, grab a bite to eat, head to work, complete our day, head home, take care of household things, eat, and then go to bed. We do this at least five days a week, and weekends may shift a little bit, but there is usually a routine or planned event. But this scripture has a deeper meaning that God wants everyone to understand.
Did you notice that out of the ten men who had leprosy, only one came back to thank Jesus for healing him? Here is the deeper part: did you notice that even though Jesus might have known who would come back to thank Him before He healed them, He still healed ALL ten of them? Here is the point: God is good to all, whether they are grateful or not.
- God causes the rain to come down on the good and the bad.
- God causes the sun to shine on the good and the bad.
- God provides air to breathe on the earth for the good and the bad.
- God provides shade trees for the good and the bad.
- God provides beautiful flowers that can be seen by the good and the bad.
I could continue with a longer list of provisions God has provided for humans on this earth. But the bottom line is this: who takes the time to show gratitude to God for what He has done? Don’t be like the other nine men who accepted their healing and went on their way without thanking Jesus. It only takes a moment to thank the Lord for all your blessings. If you can’t think of anything, thank Him for waking you up in the morning. Many people don’t wake up. Thank Him because you can walk; many people can’t. Thank Him if you have clothes on your back, food in your stomach, shelter over your head, and a bed to sleep in. Many people are homeless and hungry.
Remember, when you approach God for anything, enter His gates with thanksgiving. (Psalm 100:4)
Be Blessed!
Ron
Ron Cobbs Ministries © Copyright July 19th, 2026, All Rights Reserved
