More Than Merciful
Or
Giving Glory To God
Sunday March 6, 2022
Scripture To Consider:
“Then as Jesus entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ So when Jesus saw them, He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.”
“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.’” Luke 17.12-19
Something To Consider:
Word of Jesus cleansing a leper in Matthew chapter 8 reached the hearing of ten lepers. We are not told how long they were in search of Jesus, only that they met Him in a certain village. It is difficult to determine the precise order of events from a survey of all four gospels, but many believe that Jesus had left Bethany after raising Lazarus from the dead, and had headed for the city of Ephraim in order to put some distance between Him and those who were plotting to kill Him.
Ephraim means double fruitfulness. So, while the religious leaders were plotting to kill Jesus, others in Ephraim were seeking His double fruitfulness and healing power. And upon their finding Jesus, all ten lepers cried out with loud voices in unison, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When was the last time we cried out for the mercy of God for ourselves or for someone else?
The Lord, speaking through Jeremiah the prophet in Jeremiah 33.11, proclaimed, “Praise the LORD of hosts, for the LORD is good, for His mercy endures forever.” How often do we stop or return to the scene of our healing or our being forgiven or whatever blessing we have received from the Lord, in order to praise Him and give Him glory?
The Psalmist declared in Psalm 89.1; “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.” How often do we sing of the mercies of our Lord? The Psalmist also proclaimed in Psalm 103.17, “The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting upon those who fear Him?” But do we reverently fear the Lord like we should? In verse 7 of the same Psalm we are instructed; “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him [or in His presence].”
Something Else To Consider:
These ten leprous men were recipients of the mercy of God that day. By faith they all turned toward Jerusalem in obedience to the instruction of Jesus to go show themselves to the priests. Can you imagine the fury of the priests and the Pharisees when the ten lepers showed up miraculously healed of their leprosy? Can you imagine the joy and excitement of the ten lepers who were given a new lease on life?
But what if in doubt or in a fearful lack of faith, some of them returned to the leper colony instead of going to Jerusalem? Faith is a matter of our being obedient to the revealed Word of God. And so, they were all healed of their disease of leprosy, that loathsome spiritual picture of sin that separates us from our God.
The prophet Isaiah revealed in Isaiah 53.6; “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his [or her] own way [the way of sin]; and the LORD has laid on Him [Jesus] the iniquity [or sin] of us all.” And also in Isaiah 59.1-2 we discover; “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your [and my] iniquities [sins] have separated you [and me] from your [our] God.”
In other words, our leprous-like sin, past, present, and future, separates us from God, according to the Word of God. And yet, it is the more than merciful kindness and forgiveness of God in and through Jesus that can wash our sins and iniquities clean! And when we truly seek His forgiveness and receive what we seek, do we give Him the glory He is due?
Something More To Consider:
But only one out of the ten, and him being a Samaritan or of a looked down upon nation by the Jewish population, came back to give thanks and to give glory to God. We are not told how far in their obedient traveling toward Jerusalem it was before they realized they were healed. Perhaps it was a great distance, which would make it even more impressing that this one thankful Samaritan man returned to the more than merciful scene of his miraculous healing.
David wrote often in the Psalms, “Be thankful to the LORD, and bless His name.” The apostle Paul reminds us in his much letter writing, “Give thanks always for all things.” What in our lives do we have reason to be thankful to God for? In what way has God through Jesus been more than merciful to us? Let us as leaders in training recount His many blessings, and always unashamedly give glory to God!
David also wrote in Psalm 19.1; “The heavens declare the glory of God.” It would be a disgraceful shame if God’s own creation, the human race, either refused or simply neglected to give God the glory He is most worthy of receiving. And yet, in the near future all of humankind, past, present, and future, will be forced to give glory to God. Some will do so from the torments of a fire filled eternity.
A Few Final Words:
Therefore, will we this day, March 6, 2022, take the time to give glory to God? Will we show our immense appreciation for God’s being more than merciful to us one-time rebellious renegades? How often will we from this day forward, return, like the one thankfully healed of leprosy Samaritan man, and give thanks and glory to God in and through Jesus Christ?
Spiritual leaders in training need to be trained in the spiritual art of thankfulness, as well as reminded to give glory to God for all things, and at all times! For there is coming a great wave of Christian persecution to America. There is coming an end time tribulation like no other before it according to Jesus.
I understand that most reading this lesson of a lifetime will not believe what is written above will take place. For most have been indoctrinated falsely by the many end time false prophets Jesus warned us in advance of in His end time teachings. For most are in unknown desperation of the false hope of waiting for a pre-tribulation rapture that biblically will not happen. And therefore, many, if not most, are far from being either spiritually or physically ready to endure to the end of the tribulation that is approaching!
The truth is, according to Jesus, we must be ready, we must be watchful for the signs of the end, and we must be thankful that our names are written in the Lambs book of life. We must be thankful that our sin has been forgiven and we are being washed daily by the water of the Word of God.
And according to Luke in our Scripture to consider today, “And one of them [the healed of leprosy Samaritan man], when he saw that he was healed returned, and with a loud voice glorified God.” Let us therefore, go and do likewise!
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, thank You for Your everlasting mercy in our lives. Thank You for healing us of the spiritual leprosy of sin. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 