Impact Week Twenty

Review

A couple of weeks ago we were talking about Nicodemus and the conversation he had with Jesus. He was a political leader in his day, possibly a very prominent one, judging from the wording of verse one. Regardless, he didn’t feel safe to approach Jesus during the hours of daylight. Nicodemus’ puzzlement with the idea of a second birth is easy to laugh at now, but he asked some honest questions. If you want to see the kingdom of heaven, you will have to lose your life and find a new one in Christ. The new life that takes place in us is the process of our salvation (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Background

Before we head into the reading, I want to quickly give some background on Samaritans and their relationship with the Jews. According to 2 Chronicles 36, when the Persians sacked the Babylonians, the people of Judah were released from their exile. But Ezra 4 says that there were people living in the land when they got there, probably Samaritans. Because Jerusalem was in ruins, the Jewish people had to rebuild it as well as the temple that Solomon built in years past. But the Samaritans were not allowed to assist and wound up building their own capital city and a temple where they worshiped God. You can read the story of the woman at the well in John chapter 4 for a little bit more perspective.

With that in mind, let’s read about a grateful heart.

Reading: Luke 17:11-17

End

Faith

Hebrews11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

In verse14 it says “And as they went, they were cleansed.” These leprous men were not healed instantly in the presence of Jesus. He could have healed them then and there, but God doesn’t fit any description we can give him. He constantly breaks the mold, and this situation was no exception. Jesus knew the law of the Old Testament which said that you did not go to see the priest unless you were cleansed of leprosy. Nevertheless, Jesus told the lepers to behave as though they had already received their healing. In order for these men to be healed, they had to believe that they were healed. Faith doesn’t make sense in a natural sense, because it is the belief in the unseen, what is outside of the physical realm.

What spiritual leprosy is ailing you? What sin is eating away at your heart? Operate in this blind faith, that you are free, that you have been cleansed, and have been healed. In your declaration of faith, you may find yourself healed on your way.

Thanksgiving

But notice that while faith is admirable, only one of these ten men stopped to give glory to God. And that man was a Samaritan. Even with the history between the Samaritans and Jewish people, he returned to give thanks. Isn’t it interesting that in spite of a clearly supernatural healing, nine out of ten went about their lives like normal?

Romans 5:9-10 “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”

We were enemies of Christ before we came to know him. But he sought us out, healed us, and saved us. We need only look to the redeeming blood of Christ for a reason to give glory to God, to express our thanks. We never did and never will deserve our salvation, nor anything else God did for us on the cross. Don’t forget to return to Jesus’ feet every day to pour out thanks for the freedom you have been given!

This week’s memory verse gives another key point. When you approach God in prayer, remember all he has done.

Memory Verse: Philippians 4:6

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”