Luke 17:11-19
Introduction
In Luke 17, Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem for Palm Sunday, where the same people who would later crucify Him would first celebrate Him. On the way to His destiny, He enters a village and encounters ten men with leprosy. Most of Jesus’ miracles happened along the way. He was never so focused on the end goal that He missed the needs along the journey. We must be sure that we don’t miss the journey by only focusing on the destination.
In the same way that Jesus made a pitstop for the lepers, He will make a pitstop on your behalf when you call His name. Leprosy meant isolation — living outside the gates, cut off from community. It was incurable and led only to death. Leprosy was the great equalizer, ignoring nationality and status. In many ways, leprosy is a lot like sin. Sin isolates, sin decays, and sin numbs, and the only remedy is death, unless, Jesus shows up. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
When the lepers saw Jesus, they cried out. He allowed them to approach Him. No matter your past, Jesus is not too far out of reach. The lepers called Him “Master,” showing they didn’t just want a sermon, they wanted healing. They asked for mercy, recognizing who Jesus was and who they were. Pride will take you away from the cross, but when you realize that you haven’t received the punishment you deserve, your gratitude shifts.
Jesus told them to show themselves to the priest, and as they were going, they were cleansed. They had to move in obedience to experience what Jesus had already declared. Miracles come with movement. Don’t get stuck in the going—believe in what the Lord says and keep moving.
Only one man turned back to glorify Jesus. He didn’t just see healing, but he saw transformation. He saw Jesus not as a genie, but as Savior and Redeemer. If you don’t see Jesus right, you won’t turn back. Overflow is connected to a conduit called gratitude. No gratitude, no overflow. If you’ve experienced the mercy of Jesus Christ, turn back and give Him thanks.
Getting Started
- Have you ever taken a road trip and something unexpected happened along the way?
- What’s one thing that you’ve learned on your journey along the way?
Let’s Get Personal
- What “destination” have you been so focused on that you haven’t noticed what God is doing in your journey?
- How do you typically respond when God doesn’t move immediately? Do you keep going or do you find yourself stuck?
- Have you ever received something from God and forgot to turn back to thank Him?
Take the Next Step
- What’s one way that you can choose gratitude over grumbling this week?
- Pray and ask God to show you one step you can take this week to walk towards healing (physically, emotionally, or spiritually).
- Want to dig deeper? Take a look at the following passages: Luke 17:11-19; Leviticus 13; John 14:6; Philippians 2:5-8; Ephesians 2:4; Leviticus 14:1-32.
Renew Your Mind
Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan.”
Luke 17:15-16
