Smiling Samaritan
Let me tell you about one of the worst Thanksgiving holidays I ever had. First of all, I drove 15 straight hours to Texas at night after working a full day. The girl who went with me, who was supposed to help drive, decided on the trip that she was just too tired. I was irritated. I finally arrived at my destination, extremely worn out, for at this point I had not slept for over 32 hours. When I reached the guy’s house that I was going to spend part of the holiday with, I found out that he had told his family we would spend the holidays with them. That means I would have to get in the car with him, while he drove another 3 hours. But before we left, I needed to iron my outfit. He had one of those ironing boards that went over the door. In my deliriously tired state, I bumped it while I was stretching my shirt over the board, knocked the iron over. The side of the iron landed squarely in the middle of my left hand. I still beared the scar almost a decade later. Needless to say, I was in pain. I screamed. The pain did not go away for weeks. Every time I moved my hand, I winced. So, with a bandaged hand, no sleep, we headed out on our 3-hour drive. During the weekend, I found out this guy was dating another girl and had lied to her about my visit. That sets up for a marvelous holiday. So, my long drive home was filled with thoughts that are not the kind to write about. I guess you could say that thanksgiving was not on my mind.
I can look back now and laugh. Sometimes it’s even fun to share my story when people notice the small scar on my hand. Some of you can share stories of how things did not turn out the way you planned. You might look back and laugh. Or, the more painful stories may still bring the sting of tears to your eyes. But how did you respond? Did you complain? Did you blame? There were some men in the Bible who had every reason to be bitter. Their stories were hard. I was angry about an iron that burned one part of my hand. These men had their whole bodies wracked with the disease of leprosy. Let’s look at their story.
Now on His way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As He was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met Him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When He saw them, He said, “go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him-and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where is the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then He said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11-19)
Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. He knew His days on earth were growing short. He was traveling the distance to die. Think of the burden He was carrying. Jesus knows what it is like to face a dark future. Some of you may feel that way. You see circumstances looming before you. What do you do? Look at the amazing thing Jesus did. He continued to meet the needs of those around Him.
Now on His way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As He was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met Him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When He saw them, He said, “go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
Coming in on His final days, He still was concerned about others. He showed them love, care, healing. He did not, however, meet every problem of the people. He did not go out of His way to find people to heal. But when the needs of the people came to Him, He responded. This is a great example for us during difficult times. During overwhelming times, if an obvious opportunity presents itself to minister to someone else, take it. God made it apparent to you for a reason. Do not worry about going out of your way trying to make a difference everyone’s lives. That would only enable you to avoid dealing with your own issues. But I think sometimes, God brings others to us, so by helping them, our hearts are encouraged.
For Jesus, what could be more obvious than ten men yelling at Him? That had to feel like a Superbowl party. I have never understood the need to yell at the television during football games. My dad could sit and watch a game by himself and you could hear him yelling at referees, players, and coaches throughout the house. For all those who yell at the screen, may I remind you, they cannot hear you! If you want the slim possibility that they may hear your “marvelous” advice that you alone can give, since after all their training they can not figure it out, buy a ticket to the game!
Sorry, that was a crazy tangent. But imagine, like at a football party, everyone yelling at you. Jesus hears their chant; He could not have missed it even if He had tried! What were they screaming?
They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
Have pity on us. Pity is probably something they had not received in a long time. There was no pity given to those with leprosy. They were cast out from society. Lepers were considered physically unclean so were unable to be around others. This is similar the woman we studied earlier who had been bleeding for twelve years. Not only were they isolated socially, they were not allowed to take part in worship. Unable to enter the temple, they felt far from God, for He was the one who had made the law to place lepers outside the city. Look with me at Numbers 5:1-4
The Lord said to Moses, “Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has an infectious skin disease…Send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp where I dwell among them.” The Israelites did this; they sent them outside the camp. They did just as the Lord had instructed Moses.
Outside the camp. Isolated. Alone. Cast out. By the law of God? How can this be? Easy. God is a doctor. He knew that the skin disease of leprosy is contagious. To protect the people who were not infected, those with the disease had to be isolated to keep it from becoming an epidemic. But in that primitive medicinal culture, it was easier to issue the command without having discussing things like skin cells. For they would ask, “What is a cell?” But I do want to point out the heart of God. He sends them outside the camp, but they are never considered outside his provision or care. They, too, received the manna, the quail, and the water. He protected them from invaders. He still led their way in the wilderness. They were outside the camp but they were never outside His heart.
Do you feel like an outsider? Do you always feel like you are watching others fit in while you seem to never be able to connect? Does everyone else seem to have it all together while you look around and cannot even begin to collect the mess? Do others seem to always be in front, having things go their way, while you go from struggle to struggle? My dear brother or sister, He knows. He cares. His eyes are still on you. He can see you. Just because you are on the outside with everyone else, does not mean you are beyond His reach. But sometimes, you just need to ask for help
They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When He saw them, He said, “go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
They stood at a distance. They respected the cultural norms of the day. They did not invade His boundaries. But look at what Jesus did. He came close. He would not have been able to see their leprosy from far away. But it states that, “When He saw them”, so God came close to them. He did not stay at a distance. Don’t you just love that about God? Isn’t that what Jesus did at Bethlehem? God wanted to be close to us. So, He came in the flesh as a baby born to Mary in a stable, Immanuel, God with us. Look at all He went through just to be near to you and me. Shout, “Halleluiah”! Come on, I know you want to!
Immanuel, the God who came close responded to the men in regards to the law, the one that they obeyed by staying outside the camp. The rule they respected by standing at a distance from Jesus. The law they understood. So, Jesus responds to them in accordance to what they were familiar with but He adds a new twist. He told them to go to the priests. But let’s look at what we find in Leviticus 14:1-4
The Lord said to Moses, “These are the regulations for the diseased person at the time of his ceremonial cleansing, when he is brought to the priest: The priest is to go outside the camp and examine him.”
The priest was to come outside the camp to examine the lepers to see if they were healed. Why would Jesus skip this step and send them to go to the priest? He did not skip a step. For He is the High Priest, and He had examined them outside the camp, they were clean. He already had pronounced it.
When He saw them, He said, “go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
On their way, they realized they were healed. They had to take steps of faith first before their skin was restored. This was not an immediate restoration. Jesus had them walk a ways before they could see the miracle. This is unlike his other miracles where they could see the results right away. Why did He do that? Maybe to show what was in their heart.
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him-and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then He said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11-19)
Only one had in his heart thanksgiving. Only one knew the reason for his wholeness. Only one made the journey back.
I cried the other day for I realized my heart is like the nine instead of the one. What made it so apparent? I heard of a lady who has the heart of this thankful Samaritan. She has a rare form of cancer. The prognosis is not good. They are doing experimental treatments. This lady is a young mom, with two young children. She realizes that she may not see them grow up, be married, have children. But she said that she is thankful for the time she has. And she trusts the will of God. I heard about this amazing Christian woman not long after I complained to a friend about some hardships at work. I wanted the problems solved and gone. Yes, I am like the nine. I want to be like the one.
What did the one do?
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him-and he was a Samaritan.
He walked back alone. His friends went on. The same loud voice that cried out for Jesus to have pity on him, was now wildly praising God. He wanted everyone to hear what the Lord had done for him. Imagine the looks he got on the road. Some may have thought he had lost his mind. Here was a grown man shouting praises to God as he walked. Then, when he saw Jesus, he threw himself at His feet. It was almost like a baseball slide! He just could not wait to say thank you to Jesus.
Is that convicting or what? How often does God do something absolutely amazing for us and we forget to say “thanks”. Or we mumble a quick “thank you, Lord.” Or we remember months later, and say, “I don’t think I ever showed you any gratitude.” This man let everyone know what God had done and he was not satisfied until he came to the feet of Jesus to say thank you. It was not enough for him to celebrate with his nine buddies that they were healed. No, he went straight to the Source.
He went alone in more ways than one, for he was a Samaritan. The Jews hated Samaritans. They were considered half-breeds. Jews would walk miles out of their way just so they would not pass through the region of Samaria. This city was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel when it defected from the southern part of Judah and Benjamin. The city fell to Assyria in 721 B.C. Many of the citizens were deported to other place such as Babylonia and Assyria. The deported Israelites were replaced with foreign colonists, who intermarried with the Israelites. So there were considered by the Jews to be a “mixed race”. Through the generations, the Samaritans mixed their worship of the God of Israel with pagan gods. (Isn’t it amazing what you learn when you read the Bible dictionary?) So, needless to say the Jews felt superior to the Samaritans, and treated them as lower class.
If anyone in that group that day had a reason to not come back, it would have been the Samaritan. But he did come back. For he was not looking at the past, he was looking at the future. He realized that because of Jesus he now has hope. That is what thanksgiving is about. It is showing gratitude for what God has done because it has given us hope for the future.
God has done so much for us. Have you ever heard the song “Count your blessings”? That is my mom’s favorite hymn. Sometimes, when I am being my negative self, she starts singing that song. That really annoys me. I know she is right yet I have a strange feeling to stifle her. For sadly, I get so used to complaining that thanksgiving seems foreign to me. Maybe that is how the nine were. That is why only the foreigner was thankful.
Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”
No one else but one was found to give praise to God. Ten received the favor of God. But God only received favor from one. When God’s eyes sweep the earth how many thankful, praising hearts does He find? I am sure He sees many complainers. His eye also watches those who are crying out for help. But how many times does he lay eyes on those who are praising, thanking Him? Forgive me, Lord. You are convicting me as I am writing this. I am so sorry that I do not throw myself at your feet to thank You for all the marvelous things You have done for me. You have been faithful; I have been faithless. Change me, Lord. Remove the leprosy of complaining and give me the garment of praise! For I desire to hear your words of favor.
Then He said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11-19)
Your faith has made you well? I thought he was already healed. He was healed physically. But by coming back to Jesus, he received true wholeness. His soul found what he was looking for. He was at the feet of Jesus. He was kneeling down. He had recognized that Jesus was greater than himself. At the feet of God, his heart was made well. He could rise and go as a new person. His skin was cleansed, but so was his heart. The other nine had pretty skin, the lotion industry may have them do commercials, but the one had a beautiful heart. Others may compliment the skin. But Jesus commended his heart. In an age of facials, masks, plastic surgery and extreme makeovers, what looks better on you: the skin or the heart? If you don’t know for sure, wait until God answers your prayer. Is your first reaction to go show off to others, or are you throwing yourself down at the feet of your Lord?
Rich Ruler
Finally, a title I did not have to come up with myself. This one was printed in the heading above the verses for me. That is good, because I did not know what to do with this section. It is such a distressing story. Everything in me wanted to skip it, to go on to ones with happy endings. I like the Jesus encounters where the people’s lives are changed for the better just because of Him. But I felt like we needed to look at the other side. Each one of us has experienced this disappointment of having shared the truth of Christ with people but they have turned away, rejecting Jesus. We have watched as they have chosen the world over heaven. This chapter is for those of us who have experienced this heartbreak. I want you to know Jesus understands how it feels. This chapter, too, is for those who are still undecided, searching, wandering about this Jesus fellow. You, too, have a choice to make. He won’t force any decision on you. He is a gentleman. It is apparent in these verses.
A certain ruler asked Him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good-except God alone. You know the commandments; ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.” “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:18-26).
My heart hurts whenever I read these verses. This rich ruler was so close to the Ruler of heaven and earth and yet he missed him. His worldly riches blinded him to the reality of eternal life. He chose the here and now. It is easier to do that. All of us struggle with it. But sometimes, when we are all alone and everything is quiet, we begin to question, what about when life is over?
A certain ruler asked Him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18)
He had obviously pondered this question in his mind. He thought about the future. He realized that at some point his life would be over and he wanted to make sure that he ended up in heaven. But what is amazing to me is that he even thought to ask the question for he was a Jew, part of the people of God. In the ruler’s education, he would have had to read about Moses who had led the people out of Egypt. It was Moses who had received the commandments and shared them with the people. These showed what God required of them. When they disobeyed the laws, there were detailed instructions that discussed how to sacrifice an animal to cover their sins. This would allow the relationship with God to be restored. So to believe God, follow His commands, observe the sacrifices; that were the traditional way of life for a Jew. Everyone knew that this led to eternal life. But somewhere deep inside this man, he realized there was more. Something was missing out of the equation. He knew. He obeyed. Yet, there had to be a different way. He was right. The Way was standing right in front of him. And the Truth was going to be unleashed.
A certain ruler asked Him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life.” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good-except God alone.” (Luke 18: 18-19)
Wait a moment. Jesus is God. Why did He say that? He was going to the heart of the ruler. This rich man only saw Jesus as a good teacher, not as God. The young man just thought he was getting advice from a smart guy. Jesus never claimed to be a smart guy. He called Himself equal with God. You could not choose His title for Him. You either believed Him or not. This man was trying to play both sides.
We see the same thing today. People call Jesus a “good man” or a “great prophet”. They applaud His teachings and commend His life of love. But they refuse to acknowledge Him as Lord. God Himself in the flesh. They would rather play both sides. Yes, He was a good man so I agree with the Christians on that part. But He is not the only way to heaven, so I agree with the world on that part. You cannot have it both ways. You have to choose a side. For Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, the Life. No one comes to the Father except by Me.” That’s it. Case closed. You must either say He was Lord, or you say He was a liar, or He was a lunatic. But you cannot call Him a just a good teacher.
Jesus was saying in effect, “Buddy, God alone is good. Are you going to acknowledge me as the Lord or are you going to enjoy both sides. You have to choose. And I am getting ready to make it hard for you to try to teeter totter on the fence.”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good-except God alone. You know the commandments; ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.” (Luke 18:19-20)
Here is a trivia question. How many commandments are there? The answer is ten. So, why did Jesus only mention five of them? Did He forget how many He wrote down on the mount Sinai with Moses? Of course not! Which ones did He not mention?
You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol…You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God…Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy…You shall not covet…anything that belongs to your neighbor. (Exodus 20:1-17)
By omitting these, he was actually going to the man’s heart. For Jesus knew the man felt like he had kept five of the commandments, which is good. But it takes all ten to hit perfection, and only One did that, and He is the One answering the questions. But the man is confident in the five he had kept.
“All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. (Luke 18:21)
Why did the man not question Jesus here, instead of bragging on Himself? He could have said, there are not only five commandments but ten. He could have named the other ones. As a Jewish man, he would have had them memorized. But to speak the other five would mean having to face himself, looking squarely at what he was not doing right. The rich ruler was willing to evaluate the areas of his life which were right, but was yet unwilling to assess what he was doing wrong. Jesus had given him a chance to admit, to confess. The young man did not take the opportunity. He was too busy preserving his image.
We live in a culture where image is everything. It seems to be even worse in the church. We will not admit that we do not have it all together. We act more spiritual than what we are. We fake joy when we feel like falling apart. We pretend our families are perfect even when the marriage is on the verge of breaking up. It is time to face the truth, to evaluate where we really are. Is there an area of sin in my life? Then, I need to confess it and quit hiding it. Only then can I follow Christ. Until then, I am just avoiding a true relationship with Christ. Thankfully, though, even when I am unwilling to face my sin, Christ continues to point out the stronghold in my life, so I may change. Often, His approach becomes more direct.
When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Luke 18:22)
The truth is out. The sin is revealed. Jesus hit the area of sin hard. The reasons those five commands were deleted was because the man loved material things. The first four commandments deal with your relationship with God, the last six deal with your relationship with others. His love of this world caused his relationship with God to be completely out of whack. By caring about the things of this world, he coveted what others had and did whatever he could to obtain more. God was not the center of his life. Riches were his all in all. People were seen in comparison, either he had more than them or felt content or he had less and coveted. That is why he felt empty. That is why he came to Jesus desperately seeking what would give him eternal life. He knew something was missing. He asked the right question. He went to the right Person. He listened to the answer. But he would not accept it.
When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. (Luke 18:23)
This was a good man. He kept most of the commandment, that is more than many can brag about. He was an Israelite, part of the people of God. The ruler was wealthy, a sign of blessings from God. Yet, he would not be entering the kingdom of God. He made a choice. He forsook the eternal to enjoy the temporal. What a tragedy. By his sadness, we know that the ruler recognized his loss yet still refused to let go of his riches.
Some of you may be doing the same thing. You are living for the here and now, not realizing that our lives are like a fleeting mist. You are devoted to a world that will not last. Please today make a different choice. He is right there, so close. He wants you to come and follow Him. He knows it is a tough decision. He is not minimizing your struggle.
Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:24-25)
Jesus is looking at you. He knows what is keeping you from Him, from fully serving Him. Some of you have chosen heaven for eternity but are enjoying the world to its fullest now. Christ has so much more to offer. Will you let go of what is holding onto you? The wealth, the image, the prestige, the possessions cannot compare with what Jesus can give you. When the ruler chose the world, he left sad and depressed. But when the disciples chose Christ, they are full of joy, peace. Which will you choose? Take some time in prayer. Ask the Lord to show you if there is anything in your heart that you desire over Him. Confess it as an idol. Ask Him to let whatever or whomever it is go. Then, decide to follow Him with your whole heart, soul, and mind. You will never regret it. In heaven, you will even be rewarded for it. If only the ruler realized the riches in heaven far surpassed anything he could imagine! For the greatest Treasure of all stood before Him, the pearl of great price. He is before you today, right now. Jesus is asking you to follow Him. Do you know what happens when you follow someone? That means you get to be with Him. Jesus is asking you to join Him, to be with Him, to be a part of what He is doing, to be His friend. Smile friend, and go and follow Him.