The Other Nine...

"On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" (Luke 17:11-18)

In the above passage we read about Jesus Christ entering into a village where ten lepers cried out for Jesus Christ to have mercy on them. Leprosy was something that had obviously made there lives a living hell and they wanted to be freed of it. When Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priests they all were cleansed of their leprosy! They were finally free! Shouldn't all of them had fallen on their face before God in worship? Shouldn't they have spent the rest of the day singing songs of thanksgiving to their Healer? Shouldn't all ten had lifted Jesus above their shoulders and carried Him through town rejoicing? Maybe they should have but we only read of "one" returning to Christ to thank Him for His goodness.

I would like to think of myself as this "one" who continually is before Jesus giving Him thanks for everything He has done in my life but honestly I may look more like the other nine. Over the Thanksgiving weekend I spent more time being like the "one" bringing thanks to my Savior for all His undeserved mercy that He has shown me.

What is it in your life that you need to be continually thankful for? Do you look like the "one" or do you better relate to the "other nine"?