Pastor Hanna Ng
Luke 17:11-19
On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus entered a village where He was met by ten men with leprosy (skin disease). The men stood at a distance and called out to Jesus. The men wanted Jesus to heal them of their terrible skin disease so they shouted aloud, “Jesus, have mercy on us!”
When Jesus saw them, He said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And while they were going, they were healed.
One of the men who Jesus healed came back to thank Jesus for the miracle of healing him. The man fell down at Jesus’ feet and praised God.
Then Jesus said, “Were not ten men healed? Where are the other nine men?” Jesus pointed out that the only man who returned to give Him thanks was not a Jew. The man who returned was from another country called Samaria.
Jesus looked at the Samaritan man and said, “Get up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.”
What is a miracle? Have you ever experienced one? Sometimes you might hear a person say something like, “It’s a miracle I did okay on that test,” or “It’s a miracle I found my phone.” In reality, these aren’t miracles. Miracles are much, much bigger! Miracles are things that only God can do.
In the Bible, we read about many miracles. Old Testament miracles include events like Moses parting the Red Sea, Daniel in the lions’ den, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego surviving the fiery furnace. The New Testament is filled with miracles, too, especially those performed by Jesus. Jesus performed miracles because He is the Son of God. Jesus fed 5,000 people with a few loaves of bread and fish. He walked on water. He calmed storms by telling the wind to be still. Jesus also healed many people—He cleansed lepers, gave sight to the blind, helped the lame walk, made deaf people hear, and even raised people from the dead.
Luke 17 includes the story of Jesus healing ten lepers. Leprosy was a skin disease that caused painful sores on the body. Lepers were considered unclean, so people with leprosy were separated from their family and friends. Jesus had mercy on these men. He told them to go to the priest, and as they walked away, they were healed. One man returned to Jesus, praising Him for healing. He was the only one of the ten to thank Jesus for helping him.
Jesus wanted to show people He was the Son of God. He displayed His power over everything in His miraculous works. Jesus is still in the business of miracles today. While we don’t see them as often as the people did in Bible-times, God still moves in ways that show His power over all creation. If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you have experienced the greatest miracle of all
Questions:
1. Why were men calling out to Jesus when He entered a village on the way to Jerusalem?
2. What miracle did Jesus perform for these men?
3. What did one man do after Jesus healed him?
Pray: Thank You, God, for being the Miracle Worker. Your ways are higher and greater than anything we could think or imagine. You are God, and there is no other. Amen.