Where Are the Nine?

“And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.” Luke 17:12-18

Jesus healed ten lepers, but only one came back to thank Him. They had all called out to Him for mercy. In that regard, they had all exercised faith in Him. They believed that He could heal them, but there is a difference between faith and gratitude. Faith is believing in what God can and will do for us, but gratitude is recognizing Him and thanking Him for what He has already done. Without God, we are just like these lepers. The disease they suffered from was painful, humiliating, and deadly. By nature, we are sinners who suffer from a painful, humiliating, and deadly condition. When we receive Christ, He cleanses us from all of our sin. The penalty is lifted, the guilt erased, and we are set free. How often do we return to Him and thank Him for saving us? We should take time every day to express our gratitude for the miracle of salvation.