Christ Jesus is the strong Savior who causes the ruined world to be organized wisely, and sets up the kingdom of heaven on earth. His then followers did not realize his global aim, but felt that the current of God’s power went out of the Nazarene, and he raised the dead, stilled the storm, cleansed the lepers, and offered his mercy to all the poor who resorted to him. He became widely known even in the village where he met ten castaway lepers who lived on the borderline between Galilee and Samaria. One of the lepers was a despised Samaritan. But their common distress united them in spite of their racial difference.
When this miserable group heard that Jesus would shortly pass near to them, they went up to a high place, which enabled them to see him and call him from afar without causing annoyance to the multitude that followed him. Their hope turned into strong longing and abiding trust. They put all their hearts into their cry when they called, "Jesus, have mercy on us." Do you know this cry in your heart?
Jesus has always answered whoever cried out to him attentively for mercy. Accordingly, Jesus stopped, looked at the hopeless, saw their disturbed faith, and called them saying his only one strange statement, "Go show yourselves to the priests." Christ did not say to them, "Be cleansed", but "Go and believe in me and in my word that you may experience your cure gradually as far as you believe." This group set out slowly and hopefully. They had the courage trusting Christ’s word, but were afraid of the ridicule and punishment of the public. Yet as they started their journey, they began to become cured. The more they moved forward, the more their skin became renewed and their lost fingers began to grow. So they ran and rejoiced. They experienced that their faith in Christ had cleansed them. This wonderful event was a miracle. Here was a cure by wholesale, for ten men were cured all at once and became renewed in Jesus Christ.
They hurried to the priests to bring a certificate from them that they were clean so that they might again be restored to the society of their relatives and friends. But one of them, a strange Samaritan, thought contrarily. He knew gradually that a divine miracle had been made in him, and that that Nazarene was not an ordinary man, but God himself. As he became convinced of this, he turned back immediately toward Jesus glorifying God for forgiving him his sins and curing him completely. He did not go to the priests first, nor did he fear that the disease would return to him for disobeying Christ’s command, but he wanted to see his Savior, and give thanks to him. So when he approached the Nazarene, he fell down on his face, and worshiped to him confessing his full commitment, as if he were saying to him, "Master! You are my Lord and I am your own. Do to me as you wish." His thanking was his full commitment.
Jesus did not refuse the man’s worship, his self-offering, and his great thanking, for Christ is true God from the true God, and is worthy of receiving worship, honor, and glory. Jesus did not become proud because of this honoring, or because of his success in the world, for he was lowly in heart. He rather had deep sorrow in his heart, for only one of the ten, that is the strange and ignorant one, knew who Jesus was, forgot himself, came to him, and honored him with his worship and prayer. Jesus inquired about the nine Jews who did not thank him for his help. They were drowned with joy and forgot to give thanks. Out appeal to God is easy, and the response is certain. It is rather a great joy. But our thanks are little. In the world, there are two astonishing reasons: God’s continuous love in spite of men’s ingratitude. An example of this is men’s continuous ingratitude in spite of the blessed love of God.
Jesus addressed him who worshipped to him personally saying to him, "Your faith has made you well." This word does not indicate the incomplete belief of the Samaritan, but his hearty engagement with Jesus through hope, trust, boldness of faith, experience of the power of God, and praiseful thanking in his full commitment. Christ assured this man of complete salvation, for he became sure of the love of God. This leper was not good in himself, but was a token of all impurity. He did not offer any sacrifice or good deeds for his salvation, except his trust in Jesus. He experienced the power of the word of God in the Nazarene’s words. As such we advise you to hold fast to Jesus, and thank him for all his gifts that you may be filled with power, joy, and gladness. Do not remain unthankful, but give thanks, and give careful consideration to every response to your prayers, and blessing from God that you may not lack the property of thanking. Praise your Lord with all your heart, and do not be slow in praising him.