The Returning Leper

UV 3651/10000 The Returning Leper One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying and praising and honouring God with a loud voice; Luke 17 v 15 One out of ten lepers healed by Jesus returned to Him to thank and glorify Him as God. He was the least likely one also to return, being a Samaritan and not a Jew. Scripture records that he lay face downward at Jesus’ feet, thanking Him (over and over). He was overcome by gratitude at being made whole again. He attributed all the glory to God. He never stopped thanking Jesus. Jesus did not say that His power and ability to heal had healed the leper but He said, “Your faith and your confidence in God’s power has restored you to health.” He must have never stopped worshipping, thanking, glorifying God with every breath and every moment of the remaining part of his life. Even to this day, out of ten people who hear a message and are blessed only one would deign to return to the messenger or to God to thank Him. No wonder that only one out of ten people are truly happy or blessed in this world. Only one out of ten enterprises in this world succeed in achieving its purpose. The proportion like the Fibonacci code running through all of creation seems to be true of the human response to something good to great that has happened in our lives. Till we get the blessing, we pant like deer or like a dog for a biscuit, and the moment we have the miracle, the relief from pain or trouble, the victory or success, we tend to forget. Indeed, what we put on the back burner indicates whether we burn for God or for our own limited desires. When we receive eternal life in Christ, we should realize that we, like the lepers in the story, have been healed of spiritual equivalent of leprosy. Leprosy is said to be a metaphor for the human condition of being insensate to sin and evil due to the deterioration of our spiritual and emotional nervous system. Salvation of our souls by receiving Jesus into our hearts and souls is the equivalent of healing of such spiritual leprosy. Hence, the first anointing we receive is the leper’s anointing. This is the reason that Jesus tells the ten lepers who called out to Him to have mercy on them from a distance, “ Go and show yourself to the priests.” On being examined by the priests, they were to be anointed with oil as a sign of confirmation of their healing. Nine lepers did not return for they took their healing from the incurable, deadly disease for granted. They probably were rushing off to make up for lost time, to catch up with their families, farms or business, friends or whatever they would like to return to now that they were normal, like anyone else. As for us, nothing we ever did or can do would restore us to a right relationship with God. Therefore, like the returning leper, we should ever be grateful, constantly rejoicing, humbling ourselves by prostration before the Lord who has restored us, continually worshipping and praising God with every breath and every moment. Whatever else happened or did not happen in our lives, whatever other blessing we are seeking, this is enough reason for us to return again and again to the Lord, beholden, grateful and joyful.