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[Announcer] (0:01 - 0:18) Think about the Bible like you never have before. You're listening to Christian Questions. Access more audio, videos, and Bible study resources at ChristianQuestions.com. Our topic is: "What Does Leprosy Teach Us About Sin and Gratitude?"

Here's Rick, Jonathan, and Julie.

[Rick] (0:21 - 0:30) Welcome everyone, I'm Rick. I'm joined by Jonathan, my co-host for over twenty-five years. Julie, a longtime contributor, is also with us. Jonathan, what's our theme scripture for this episode?

[Jonathan] (0:31 - 0:46) Luke 17:15-16: "Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at his feet, giving thanks to him. And he was a Samaritan."

[Rick] (0:47 - 1:42) If you haven't noticed, our world, in a very big way, has lost its grip on the value of gratitude. Instead of having a thankful heart for whatever opportunities we may have and what we may receive, we seem to double down on living with a sense of entitlement. We can look at this and think, where did we go wrong?

The fact is that this issue is the result of human imperfection and has been around for a very long time. The story of the ten lepers in Luke 17 reminds us of this. Leprosy--once a living death--left its victims isolated, disfigured, and desperate.

Yet when Jesus healed those ten lepers, only one returned to give thanks. Why does thankfulness matter so deeply to God, and what does this ancient disease reveal about the spiritual condition of humanity today?

[Julie] (1:42 - 1:58) We're going to be talking about leprosy. It's known medically as Hansen's Disease. It's a condition that causes numbness and physical deterioration.

The Bible frequently referenced leprosy, using it as a representation of sin's corrupting influence.

[Jonathan] (1:58 - 2:08) God in His wisdom uses human experiences--both joyful and tragic--to teach spiritual lessons, and leprosy is no exception.

[Rick] (2:08 - 2:30) Leprosy is a big deal. It was a big deal in those days, and what we're going to be discussing is not a parable.

It's an actual event. It's an actual interaction between Jesus and these ten men. We're first going to read the whole interaction, then we're going to break it down and look at the lessons in a greater context.

Let's start with Luke 17:11-17:

[Jonathan] (2:31 - 3:16) "While he was on the way to Jerusalem, he was passing between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, ten men with leprosy who stood at a distance met him; and they raised their voices, 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 were going, they were cleansed. Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at his feet, giving thanks to him.

And he was a Samaritan. But Jesus responded and said, Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine--where are they?"

[Rick] (3:17 - 3:39) That's such a big, powerful, profound question. Where're the rest of them? Before we talk about what Jesus did and what all of that means, let's lay out the details of this overwhelming disease because it is something that I don't think we can relate to today.

Julie, let's go into what leprosy actually was in those days.

[Julie] (3:39 - 4:01) Leprosy was a horrific disease of really slow destruction. Skin turned pale and lifeless, limbs shriveled, extremities like fingers, toes, even facial features could gradually fall away. Teeth loosened and disappeared.

The afflicted became ghost-like, their bodies deteriorating while they still lived.

[Rick] (4:01 - 4:14) It truly was a living death, isolating and disfiguring, feared not only for its physical toll but for the spiritual stigma that it also carried.

[Julie] (4:15 - 5:42) Yes, and in addition to being highly contagious and disfiguring, degeneration was progressive. It produces numbness so people don't realize that they've injured themselves. I've been reading this just very inspirational book by Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey called Fearfully and Wonderfully, The Marvel of Bearing God's Image. It's just wonderful. Here's a quote about this because one of these men was a doctor in India curing leprosy and working with lepers. "The disease caused slow decay--hair loss, joint shrinkage and eventual loss of body parts.

One traveler described lepers as 'white as snow,' referencing the advanced stage of the disease. The disease does not spread like flesh-eating bacteria; rather, it attacks a single type of cell, the nerve cell. When the nerve cell falls silent, it no longer warns of danger, and the painless person quite literally destroys his or her own body...

a person uses a hammer with a splintered handle, does not feel the pain, and an infection flares up. Another steps off a curb, spraining an ankle, and, obliviously, keeps walking. Another loses use of the nerve that triggers the eyelid to blink every few seconds for lubricating moisture;

the eye dries out and the person becomes blind. Virtually all the devastating effects of leprosy trace back to a single source: one type of nerve cell that has fallen silent."

[Rick] (5:43 - 6:04) That's pretty remarkable. One type of nerve cell stops doing what it's supposed to and this is the overwhelming issue that comes from leprosy. As we develop this, we're going to see leprosy has a very, very, very big meaning in terms of what we can learn about spiritual things as well.

[Julie] (6:05 - 6:15) As if the physical effects of leprosy are not enough, lepers in ancient times faced the community consequences of social isolation, financial ruin, and there being no medical cure.

[Jonathan] (6:16 - 6:58) Social isolation in that lepers were legally required to live apart from society, even from their families. They had to cry out "Unclean! Unclean!" when anyone approached. They weren't allowed to worship in the temple or synagogue.

They were subject to financial ruin because they couldn't work. They couldn't live with family unless the entire family was afflicted and they couldn't shop or own property. Most lepers had to beg for a living.

Remember, there was no medical cure for leprosy in ancient times. There was no prescribed remedy under the Mosaic Law. Any healing was considered miraculous.

[Rick] (6:58 - 7:58) That's a mess. That's just a mess no matter how you cut it. The fact that you're cut off from your family, you're cut off from society, you end up having to beg....

There is no possible way for you to be a part of anything. You look at that and say, what did I do? I didn't do anything.

That's not fair. I mean, here I am. I'm stuck with this.

That gives us a baseline, a sense of what leprosy was and the overwhelming impact it would have not only on the individuals, but everybody around those individuals. We're going to begin to review the account of Jesus' miraculous healing of those ten lepers as we set the context for how the Mosaic Law, the Law given to Moses, handled this disease. The Law laid out a detailed process for dealing with leprosy, detailed primarily in Leviticus 13 and 14.

What we're going to first see is the initial examination of a potential infection of leprosy was made not by a doctor, but by a priest. Let's look at Leviticus 13:1-3:

[Jonathan] (7:59 - 8:36) "Then the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling or a scab or a bright spot, and it becomes an infection of leprosy on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. The priest shall look at the mark on the skin of the body, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is an infection of leprosy; when the priest has looked at him, he shall pronounce him unclean."

[Rick] (8:37 - 8:48) You can see the incredible detail there about all of the little things looking into it so they got it right. There's a tremendous attention to this heinous disease.

[Julie] (8:48 - 9:02) Summing up verses 4 to 7: If the priest couldn't determine the nature of this "mark on the skin," the person was isolated for seven days to monitor progression. This isolation could even be extended for another seven days if it was still undetermined.

[Jonathan] (9:03 - 9:35) Leviticus 13:8 says: "The priest shall look, and if the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is leprosy." Once declared unclean, the person was cut off from society, both spiritually and socially.

They had to live alone outside the camp. They had to wear torn clothing. They had to leave their hair uncombed and cry "Unclean!" to warn others not to come near.

Can you imagine the self-esteem they must have had looking and feeling that way?

[Rick] (9:36 - 10:12) They had to be the physical warning of their contagiousness. Each one had to be the warning sign that says, stay far away from me. You don't want to be part of me.

It is, it's overwhelming how difficult this would have been. It's hard for us to get our heads around it. Now with that background--with the background of the disease and the background of the Scriptures and how things had to be handled--we can now see how the ten lepers in the story that we're looking at in Luke 17 were abiding by the limitations that the Law had set for them.

Now let's go back to the account, Luke 17:11-12:

[Jonathan] (10:13 - 10:22) "While he (Jesus) was on the way to Jerusalem, he was passing between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met him."

[Rick] (10:23 - 11:17) Let's break this down a little bit; ten leprous men standing at a distance. First of all, it's interesting that it's ten.

Why isn't it nine? Why isn't it thirteen? It's ten.

Ten in the Bible is a number that often represents completeness. That, I think, is going to come into play as we unfold this account, because this account has a lot of unusual pieces to it. You say, why did Jesus do things this way instead of that way?

Putting all these pieces in place helps us, I think, get a grip on that. The next part is, they stood at a distance. These men were essentially a small community.

Ten, again, a sense of completeness. It represents a community of those whose sickness kept them separated from every single aspect of normal life in accordance with the Jewish Law. This community had to be separated from everybody else.

[Julie] (11:18 - 11:49) They were really on the outside looking in. The only way to survive day-to-day was to stay together as this little community of outcasts. In the event that disease slowed to the point of what they would call "cured," the person just couldn't rejoin society.

They had to go back to the priest, undergo a ritual cleansing, followed by a seven-day waiting period where the person would wash (finally), shave, and wait outside their tent. On the eighth day, the person brought offerings of lambs, flour, and oil.

[Rick] (11:49 - 12:14) There's this whole process. It's not, hey look, I'm better! It's, hey, look, I'm better,

go to the priest, have the priest declare it, then the seven days, and then the sacrifices. This was a big, big, big deal. Let's now go back to our account in Luke 17 with all of this background.

We left off with there are ten of them, and they're standing at a distance. Luke 17:13:

[Jonathan] (12:14 - 12:25) "And they raised their voices, saying, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" Isolated, helpless, and hopeless, they simply cried for mercy.

[Julie] (12:26 - 12:30) This is an interesting detail because you would think they'd be begging for money.

[Rick] (12:30 - 13:28) Right, but they said, "Master, have mercy on us!" There's a recognition of Jesus as somebody different than the everybody else. Master, have mercy on us.

You can see, as this account begins to unfold, you have the drama of this small community just completely isolated and by themselves and Jesus comes into town, and they see him. Together..."Master, have mercy on us!"

So far, it's been pretty depressing, okay? We're talking about this leprosy and how awful it is, but really, the core value of this whole episode is gratitude

because we know in the story we've got this one leper that comes running back to Jesus with thankfulness. As we look at the leprosy, we need to look at it in the context of gratitude. What we want to look at as a theme as we go through this is Finding Gratitude in the Face of Adversity:

[Jonathan] (13:28 - 13:45) Sometimes our lives bring us to circumstances that are simply unfair. Sometimes we're given unexpected glimmers of hope in the face of our adversity. What will WE do with such hope?

Asking for mercy is certainly a powerful beginning!

[Rick] (13:46 - 14:09) That's such a powerful lesson right off the bat. Just merely asking for mercy-- maybe our adversity is overwhelming--

asking for mercy to be able to learn how to cope with whatever it is we're looking at. In ancient times, the horror of leprosy could only find hope in grace from God, and Jesus was there to deliver.

[Jonathan] (14:09 - 14:17) We all know what Jesus is going to do next. The question is, how will it be received and what role will gratitude play?

[Rick] (14:17 - 15:03) We've all been desperate on some level in our lives, just looking for mercy and hope. How often have we said to ourselves, if only THIS could happen, then I will do or I will be THAT! Just give me this so I can do that.

Well, these ten men were in such dire circumstances, their collective cry was for mercy. Like you said before, Julie, it wasn't about crying out for money. It was simply about mercy.

They recognized Jesus' authority and compassion. They called him Master. They were appealing to someone they believed could change their condition by restoring them.

There's a great faith here. They don't overwhelm Jesus, they just cry out to him.

There's a respect as well... "Master, have mercy on us!"

[Julie] (15:03 - 15:33) We left off with Jesus simply telling them to go back and show themselves to the priest. You think about the uniqueness of this response. Jesus didn't touch them.

He didn't even speak a word of healing. My question is, if we look at how Jesus healed--sometimes he used touch, sometimes he used physical acts (he told them to put mud on their eyes)--

why did he tell the lepers to go to the priests before they were healed? And why no physical contact with this entire little community? What was the deeper significance?

[Rick] (15:34 - 16:07) There's got to be something deeper here, because Jesus always either touched or commanded the healing. Always.

Except here. Here, the only thing he does is say, "Go and show yourself to the priests." We're going to get into that in a little bit.

Let's look at this experience in comparison with another experience of healing another leper, because there are significant differences. In Matthew 8:1-4, Jesus does touch the leper. The same disease, but a very different method.

Matthew 8:1-4:

[Jonathan] (16:07 - 16:39) "When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. And a leper came to him and bowed down before him and said, Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean. Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, I am willing;

be cleansed. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."

[Rick] (16:39 - 18:56) Jesus touches this leper. Now, first of all, touching a leper was as far out of bounds as you could go, but Jesus did it in this particular instance. Then he says "go, show yourself to the priest."

Same thing. When we look at these two different healings of leprosy, there's two key elements needed for this healing--for Jesus to do this healing. First was the power of God's spirit flowing through him.

It came from God through Jesus to those individuals. When Jesus heals, it is by God's power. Second is the requirement of the Law to go to the priest.

In both these instances, that's the requisite; you have to go to the priest. Jesus healed an entire small community that were impossibly sick by telling them to go to the priest so they could be officially declared clean, fulfill the Law, and go back to their lives.

That group of ten was this small community. We look at this and say, this healing is done in a different way. Why?

Why doesn't he do what he normally does? A lot of this is a "Rick opinion," but I really think that this is a picture of the larger work of Jesus, the ransom for all.

We recognize that Jesus came and his healing--all of his healing--was only temporary, right? But it was a picture of the resurrection and a picture of the world being healed. I think that in this situation, you've got an entire community representing the world being healed by Jesus, and they were told to go to a specific place to get the official proclamation.

Now look, when Jesus died, the ransom was paid. The ransom was paid long before anybody receives the actual healing in the resurrection. I think that there's a clarity that Jesus is showing us. This is what the world is going to go through later; a specific example of healing to show a much bigger picture.

We'll expand on how the details fit into this, but picture; the world is given the opportunity to be healed, but they don't even know it yet. Let's go back to the story, and we'll unfold that as we go. Following this command from Jesus, go and show yourselves to the priest,

that would have taken an incredible amount of faith. Luke 17:14:

[Jonathan] (18:57 - 19:03) "When he saw them, he said to them, Go and show yourselves to the priests. And as they were going, they were cleansed."

[Rick] (19:03 - 19:30) Wait a minute! "As they were going"...Jesus was asking them to act as if they were healed. Go, show yourselves. Why would I do that?

Just go. Before there was any evidence, they are walking to the priest. The healing happened while they're going in motion, not in the moment of the command.

Usually it always happens in the moment that Jesus commands it. Not this time. This is big. Obedience came first, and the miracle followed.

[Julie] (19:31 - 19:41) You've got to put yourselves in their position. What must that have been like after living like this? Did they start walking and suddenly they could feel part of their feet touching the ground for the first time in how long?

[Rick] (19:42 - 20:24) Think about what would have been happening like, oh my gosh, I can feel again. You get into that. But again, getting to the bigger picture,

isn't that like what the resurrection will be like? Because we know in the Day of Judgment, the world will be raised and they're not going to be exactly perfect. They're going to have to pay for all of their circumstances.

They're on their way-- Jesus already essentially sent them because he paid the price--and they're seeing things unfold over time, not immediately.

I think it's picturing the bigger picture; raised, go to the priest, along the way you are healed. Through the journey of the Day of Judgment, people are healed.

That's what I think this is all showing us. It's a really wonderful picture.

[Jonathan] (20:25 - 20:43) Well, what do we know for sure? Three points; one, these lepers may have had to walk a great distance to get to the priest while still visibly diseased.

This journey would be a test of faith with no guarantee or timeline given--just a short instruction from Jesus.

[Julie] (20:43 - 20:58) We also know that there was no fanfare. There's no laying on of hands. Jesus doesn't make a big command to be healed.

There was only a gracious and really undeserved gift, which these lepers had hoped for when they said, "Master, have mercy on us!"

[Rick] (20:59 - 21:24) Jesus did have mercy, on ALL of them. His sending them back to the priest would enable them to be fully reintegrated back into family life, into society, and into their worship communities. It would put them back where they belonged, just like the Day of Judgment puts people back where they belong into the society of being children of God.

Just kind of think about that as we go.

[Jonathan] (21:25 - 21:32) It makes sense, Rick. This became a process of healing. Jesus was telling them to go and get their lives back.

[Rick] (21:32 - 22:00) Yes, yes. Jesus pays the price for all of us to go and get our lives back. He paid it long before we were ready, willing, or able to do that.

You can just see...I think there's a picture that unfolds. Let's focus in on what happens now. It gets better here.

The gratitude from one leper, it bursts out before actually being declared clean by the priest. Let's look at what happens; and when I say bursts out, this is very dramatic!

Luke 17:15-16:

[Jonathan] (22:01 - 22:12) "Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at his (Jesus’) feet, giving thanks to him..."

[Rick] (22:12 - 22:20) He's going, he's healed, and he's like, I can't finish this journey now.

I have to go say thank you. I've got to find Jesus. I've got to find Jesus.

Got to go... got to go now!

[Julie] (22:21 - 22:25) It's like, I can't take another step without saying thank you. This is the core of the gratitude.

[Rick] (22:26 - 22:44) This is what we need to understand. We look at this piece and say, perhaps this is the call of the Church. The rest of the world is going along and learning.

Maybe the call of Church is this immediate response to be near Jesus.

[Julie] (22:45 - 22:47) The one person is different from the other nine.

[Rick] (22:47 - 22:48) Exactly.

[Julie] (22:48 - 22:50) Just like a Christian following Jesus today.

[Rick] (22:50 - 22:51) Yes.

[Julie] (22:51 - 22:51) Okay.

[Jonathan] (22:52 - 22:59) The next detail of this event is crucial. Verse 16 ends with, "And he was a Samaritan."

[Julie] (22:59 - 23:15) Oh, now that's a big deal because in biblical times, Jews and Samaritans were very hostile neighbors with each other for generations. Both groups avoided contact with each other. Samaritans were considered religious outsiders by Jews.

They were viewed as heretical and impure.

[Jonathan] (23:15 - 23:27) Yet it's this foreigner who recognizes the source of the healing and responds with gratitude. He is the one who had the heart attitude Jesus was looking for.

[Rick] (23:27 - 23:48) He is, and he was the foreigner. Isn't it kind of interesting that most of those who are called to follow Jesus are from non-Jewish faiths, from all kinds of different places, sort of outsiders looking in? There's this sense of graciousness and saying, I've got to say thank you.

I've got to get close to this. I can't let this go.

[Julie] (23:49 - 24:11) That brings up a good question: What was the ethnicity of the other nine? We aren't explicitly told, but the context strongly suggests that they were Jewish. Here the miracle occurred,

it says between Samaria and Galilee. That was a border region where Jews and Samaritans coexisted. Jesus told them to show themselves to the priests. That's according to Jewish Law,

so it goes kind of without saying.

[Rick] (24:12 - 24:35) Nine likely--very, very likely--Jewish individuals and this one Samaritan, and the Samaritan is the one who goes back and he has overwhelming gratitude. It's not just like, hey, dude, thanks, appreciate it.

It is this crying out, glorifying God, and then being humble before Jesus. It's a wonderful thing. This helps us to Find Gratitude in the Face of Our Adversity:

[Julie] (24:36 - 24:49) This leper received a gift of unfathomable grace! His response to this gift was to, with passion and sincerity, express his thankfulness. The priest could wait because his gratitude could not.

[Jonathan] (24:50 - 25:08) Do we respond with immediate and passionate gratitude when we, as Jesus' followers, receive such marvelous gifts? As we move about our day, it would be great if we could continually think, "I can't take another step without saying thank you!"

[Rick] (25:09 - 25:25) That really is the core value of the power of the kind of gratitude that's expressed here. Receiving an unmerited gift of grace from God through Jesus is mind-blowing. Such a tremendous gift should provoke a tremendous response.

[Jonathan] (25:26 - 25:35) Why didn't Jesus just strike a deal with the lepers before healing them? Something like, if I heal you, will you dedicate your lives to follow me?

[Rick] (25:35 - 26:58) Look, who wouldn't agree to that? Who wouldn't promise anything to be freed from such a horrible and incurable disease? It sure seems like an easy way to gain more disciples.

That, my friends, is exactly why Jesus didn't operate that way. He wasn't looking for coerced commitment or desperate bargains. He was following the heart of his Father, his Father who desires worshipers to come freely and worship Him in spirit and in truth.

That's the kind of devotion God seeks, and it's the kind of devotion that Jesus not only lived, but that's what he taught. We've got this big picture of this gratitude by this foreigner for this incredible healing, while the other nine simply went on to the priest for the declaration of their healing. Let's pause for a moment and let's go back to leprosy, because there's a big picture here.

Leprosy has been described as a "living death." It's an apt metaphor for sin's corrupting influence. That's a big part of why we think that when we look at this example, it's showing the big picture of the world being healed from sin.

Let's just list a few of the physical problems alongside of the spiritual challenges that they present.

[Julie] (26:59 - 27:05) In ancient times, leprosy was progressive and incurable, and so with no medical remedy, it worsened over time.

[Jonathan] (27:06 - 27:13) Sin is inescapable without divine intervention. Human effort alone cannot cleanse sin.

[Julie] (27:14 - 27:21) Leprosy is loathsome and disfiguring, causing decay of skin, limbs, facial features, and internal organs.

[Jonathan] (27:22 - 27:29) Sin is corrupting and defiling. It destroys moral integrity and distorts spiritual identity.

[Julie] (27:30 - 27:37) One of the key points that we talked about; leprosy produces numbness. The condition worsens because the injury is often not treated right away.

[Jonathan] (27:38 - 27:48) Sin produces numbness. When we become desensitized to sin, we have an inability to recognize the damage sin brings.

[Julie] (27:48 - 27:56) It just gets worse. Leprosy requires isolation. Lepers lived outside the camp.

They were cut off from their family and their system of worship.

[Jonathan] (27:57 - 28:04) Sin means an alienation from God. Sin separates individuals from fellowship with God and others.

[Julie] (28:04 - 28:13) There're many more profound comparisons of leprosy to sin. We'll include more in this week's CQ Rewind Show Notes, along with additional details for your own study.

[Rick] (28:13 - 29:01) You can see, just by the four that you guys just went over, how clearly leprosy is a definition of sin on so many different levels, because we get stuck in sin and you are trapped in it, and it isolates you from godliness. There's just this whole alternate world that we live in that's away from God. You're cut off from the goodness and glory and grace of God, and you have to find a way back. That's where Jesus comes into the picture.

Let's get back to our experience now in Luke 17 with these ten lepers, and specifically with this Samaritan who came back to say thank you. There are two really big lessons which now will begin to unfold as this story continues to unfold. The first lesson is the power of gratitude.

Let's look at Luke 17:17-18:

[Jonathan] (29:02 - 29:13) "Then Jesus answered and said, Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine--where are they? Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?"

[Rick] (29:13 - 29:52) What you have is physical healing. Now that was truly a gift from God! It was truly a gift.

I mean, it's an overwhelming gift. You can't minimize that for a second. However, receiving that gift with gratitude and praise toward God is an even greater gift.

The power of gratitude, once we receive mercy, is the greater gift. It's actually the greater gift than the mercy, and we're going to see how that unfolds in the second lesson, which is the power of faith. Luke 17:19,

it's a short verse, but it tells a big story:

[Jonathan] (29:53 - 29:58) "And he said to him, Stand up and go; your faith has made you well."

[Julie] (29:58 - 30:14) That's a really important phrase, that phrase "your faith has made you well." Jesus uses it only three times in the Bible, and we might recognize it in the King James Version; "Thy faith hath made thee whole." But what does Jesus want more, gratitude or faith?

[Jonathan] (30:14 - 30:14) Faith.

[Rick] (30:15 - 31:37) Unequivocally. Unequivocally--God, Jesus--both of them want faith over gratitude.

You say, wait, this whole thing's about gratitude. Hang on. Hang on.

Let's look at how the two actually are inexplicably connected. They're so closely connected, they can't be separated in their proper form. There is healing.

We saw Jesus doing healing, and the nine were healed. But then there's transformative healing. Let's explain this.

Healing was freely given to those burdened with various sicknesses, and Jesus was very free with healing them all. How many times did we read that in Scripture? Transformative healing took place in those individuals whose personal effort and faith were noted by Jesus.

These few individuals were blessed both physically--just like all the rest--but they were also blessed spiritually. When Jesus says, "Stand up and go, your faith has made you well," what is he saying? Though physical healing came to this entire small community--the rest of those ten lepers--this Samaritan's healing was deeper, because his gratitude was an expression of his deep faith.

His gratitude was built on this faith that couldn't wait a second, and had to run back and give glory to God and be humble before Jesus.

[Jonathan] (31:38 - 31:45) Therefore, we should be asking ourselves, how consistently is my faith revealed by my gratitude?

[Rick] (31:45 - 32:15) That's right. How consistently does my faith show itself through gratitude? That's why God wants faith first. Gratitude is an outgrowth of true, strong, spiritual faith.

Let's go to two other examples here. You had mentioned only three times, Jesus says "your faith has made you whole." Let's look at both of those other examples.

First is the woman with the hemorrhage of blood. Julie, let's go to Matthew 9:20-22:

[Julie] (32:15 - 32:38) "And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak; for she was saying to herself, If I only touch his garment, I will get well. But Jesus turning and seeing her said, Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well. At once the woman was made well."

Here's that phrase again: "your faith has made you well."

[Rick] (32:39 - 33:05) This woman's persistence was a direct result of her faith. If I can just touch his garment, I know what will happen. Her persistence is a result.

The combination of her persistence and her faith placed her in a position for both physical healing and spiritual blessing. There's more, when you've got that gratitude part, when you've got...when you show the faith. It's transformative healing.

[Jonathan] (33:06 - 33:17) Here's another question to ask ourselves: How consistently does my faith-driven persistence bring gratitude as one of its results? Does gratitude always follow?

[Rick] (33:18 - 33:42) Am I wired so that when I am persistently, in faith, driving towards something, the gratitude is right there, right in front of me, ready to be expressed? OR is my wiring, I'm going to be persistent, and boy, I did a good job. We've got to be very, very, very careful to make sure that our gratitude is above.

That's what the Samaritan is really, really showing us.

[Julie] (33:42 - 33:55) The third time Jesus says "your faith has made you well" is to the blind man, Bartimaeus, in Luke 18 and Mark 10. Now the Matthew 20 account has two blind men, but this next Luke account focuses on just the one. Luke 18:35-43:

[Jonathan] (33:55 - 34:53) "As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was. They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he called out, saying, 'Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!' Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!' And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to him; and when he came near, he questioned him, 'What do you want me to do for you?'

And he said, 'Lord, I want to regain my sight!' And Jesus said to him, 'Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.'

Immediately he regained his sight and began following him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God."

[Rick] (34:53 - 35:42) You see the boldness in these blind men, especially Bartimaeus, who was crying out, even though everybody's saying be quiet, be quiet. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. I perceive him there,

and I want to be able to see him. I'm going to cry out. The boldness of these blind men was a direct result of their faith.

They knew! Their transformative healing resulted in their following Jesus as they received both physical and spiritual blessings. That's the way these work. When we look at these--all three of these examples of "your faith has made you well"/"your faith has made you whole"--what it's telling us is that you've been physically healed,

but now you have this transformative healing of gratitude and faith that brings you to a whole different way to live your life, now that you have been healed.

[Julie] (35:42 - 35:52) In Greek, the word translated "made whole" or "made well" means "to save, to deliver, to heal." It carries both a connotation of physical healing and spiritual salvation.

[Jonathan] (35:53 - 37:04) Do I respond with boldness driven by my faith when I am in a pressing situation? Does gratitude always follow? Put another way: What does it mean if I don't express gratitude very often, giving God the credit He is due?

I would like to share something very personal about my relationship with my heavenly Father, which relates to our subject. Before engaging in any spiritual service, such as giving a sermon, leading a Bible study, or recording each CQ episode, I take time to pray. I request my Father's guidance and wisdom so that I can be a blessing to others by serving as His mouthpiece.

The Scripture that often comes to mind is "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," because I know I can do no good thing on my own. After asking God for His spiritual wisdom to work through me, and once I have completed my service for Him, I make it a point to return to the Creator in prayer. I thank Him for the miracle He worked through me, knowing that, regardless of the outcome, He deserves all the credit and glory.

[Rick] (37:04 - 37:35) That really does help us put it in perspective. Asking beforehand with gratitude for the opportunity, then asking afterwards with gratitude for the opportunity. You're looking forward to the opportunity, looking backward on the opportunity, and in both cases saying, thank You, Lord, for Your guidance, Your spirit, Your providence, Your direction, Your wisdom.

Praise God. That's really, really, really helpful. This is all part of our Finding Gratitude in the Face of Adversity:

[Julie] (37:36 - 37:57) Jesus healed the ten lepers with no strings attached. They asked for mercy, and he freely gave it to them. Upon being healed, the Samaritan immediately chose to change directions and passionately express his gratitude for his renewed life. His actions confirmed what Jesus was looking for; true, transforming faith that is real and expressible.

[Jonathan] (37:57 - 38:05) Let us follow his example and be aware of our own need to express our gratitude as a confirmation of our faith.

[Rick] (38:06 - 41:24) It's so important to express our gratitude as a confirmation of our faith. I had an experience just a week and a half ago in talking with a sister in Christ who has been struggling with not trying to take control of everything that's in front of us. Look, I think we all have that issue, right?

We want to be in control. We want to control the outcome. We want to bend things toward what we think they should be.

We've been talking about these things and a lot of difficult experiences. She was in a tough spot, just mentally not in a good place. I'm listening, and I'm listening, and I'm thinking, I just don't know what to say.

Jonathan, like you, it was, Lord, I need to say something, but help me, because I don't know what it should be. Then, by God's grace, it happens. We talked about three things.

I said, okay, as we leave this conversation, let's look at three things. One, look at doing God's will, not my will--just like Jesus in the Garden; "Nevertheless, not my will..."

Let's learn to begin to let go. Two, let's work on healing our enemies like Jesus did in the garden. Remember when he healed the ear of Malchus?

His ear was cut off in the uprising that happened with the Apostle Peter, and Jesus says, stop. He heals the ear of his enemy, even though his enemy is there to bring him to crucifixion.

Didn't matter, he did the right thing. With this particular sister it was, when people are frustrating me, I just get mad. It was like, okay, let's look at His will, not our will.

Let's have the heal our enemies attitude. Then, instead of trying to control and fix the world and the situations, let's just have gratitude in being able to contribute. Those three things--His will, not mine; heal my enemies; and contribute, don't try to fix; and have gratitude.

Less than twelve hours later, she gets up the next morning, is driving to work, she's got her child in the car, and the car gets hit on the side--just on the way to work. She gets hit. After we talked about it, you could see the light in her eyes. It registered, I get this.

That accident normally would have been the angry thing and the frustration and all of that. Her child starts to cry, so she comforts the child and they say a prayer.

Then she goes to make sure the other guy's okay. She's encouraging him. He's like, I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry. She's, it's okay, it's okay,

sometimes things happen. She had this attitude of giving and being healing. Then police came and she was just conversational with them.

The whole experience turned into, yeah, I was late to work, but they covered for me. My child was able to see that this wasn't so bad, and we could see it through different eyes, because there was gratitude, because there was contribution.

She was talking about putting this together as a testimony for others. We thought about it and thought, let's name the testimony "Best Car Accident Ever" because of the attitude that came through the trial.

That's really what we're trying to get to here with Finding Gratitude in the Face of Our Adversity. These examples are showing us that the true heartfelt gratitude is far more than saying thank you. It's living thankfully!

[Jonathan] (41:25 - 41:35) Can a lack of gratitude actually affect our ability to recognize and receive further blessings? Can it hinder our spiritual growth? Is not being thankful a sin?

[Rick] (41:36 - 41:50) So many questions. These are important questions. We want to be clear as to how to formulate the answers.

Our gratitude towards our heavenly Father through Jesus is squarely built upon the foundation of our faith.

[Jonathan] (41:51 - 42:05) If we proclaim to have great faith and don't often express gratitude for it, we may not be fulfilling the responsibilities of our discipleship. Faith and gratitude should always be combined in our Christian walk.

[Rick] (42:05 - 42:53) All of these examples that we've just been talking about verify the importance of faith and gratitude being joined in a way that they cannot be broken apart. Like the leprous Samaritan, we've been healed by the merit of Jesus' ransom. There is nothing that can compare with that unmerited gift.

Our gratitude for this can be expressed in many, many different ways. We're going to look at a few ways that we can express this gratitude. First, faith-based gratitude.

Let me pause there. It's not just about having gratitude -- it's about faith-based gratitude.

Faith-based gratitude puts us squarely into the frame of mind to continue to do God's will. Hebrews 13:15-16:

[Jonathan] (42:53 - 43:08) "Through him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

[Julie] (43:08 - 43:12) That's thankfulness pairing with service for others that pleases God.

[Rick] (43:13 - 43:24) It's so important to put those things together, because one feeds the other. We want to continue to do God's will and gratitude puts us in that frame of mind.

[Jonathan] (43:25 - 43:37) Our continued awareness of, and thanksgiving for, our deliverance puts us in line to be able to receive God's continued providence. How expressive am I regarding these gifts?

[Rick] (43:38 - 44:00) Do I express my gratitude, or do I just mumble about it inside? I mean, we really have to think about the expression of gratitude. That's one of the big lessons, I think, in the Samaritan's response to his healing.

The second point that we want to just touch on briefly; faith-based gratitude brings us peace in the midst of our varied experiences. For this we'll look at Philippians 4:4-7:

[Julie] (44:00 - 44:03) "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

[Jonathan] (44:26 - 44:43) Notice these gratitude steps: Rejoice, live in a Christ-like manner,

minimize anxiousness, prayerfully and thankfully commune with God, and then we have peace. Do I thankfully take these steps?

[Rick] (44:43 - 45:06) Jonathan, you keep asking questions after every single point we make, and those questions are so important because it's great to feel inspired. Yeah, that's a great scripture, and what great thoughts. Yeah, but do I do it?

Do I thankfully take these steps? Next point: Faith-based gratitude is driven by God's own faithfulness. Let's go to Lamentations 3:22-23:

[Jonathan] (45:07 - 45:10) "The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness."

[Julie] (45:17 - 45:55) I love a reset button, and every morning brings a reset--God’s compassions are not recycled, they're not worn out, they're new. We can look at each day as a gift, no matter how heavy yesterday felt. When something difficult is facing us, can we reframe our thinking when we wake up knowing His faithfulness is already waiting for us?

[Rick] (45:56 - 46:10) That's a great way to look at it. You wake up and the first thing--whether you recognize it or not, whether you realize it or not, whether you acknowledge it or not--is God's faithfulness is waiting there for you. It's just there. That's how grandiose it is. God's faithfulness is boundless, and therefore our gratitude—we should strive to have our gratitude to be boundless as well.

Let's look at an example of this in Psalm 118:21-24:

[Jonathan] (46:11 - 46:32) "I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone (and, of course, that refers to Jesus). This is the LORD's doing;

it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

[Julie] (46:32 - 46:56) We've got, God's mercies are new every morning. Psalm 118 here calls us to rejoice in the day that He has made, and in Luke, one healed leper showed us how this all works, returning in gratitude for new life. His thankfulness shows us that just as God's compassions never fail, our responses shouldn't fail.

They should always be with thanksgiving.

[Rick] (46:57 - 47:15) We need to recognize that and rehearse that and remind ourselves of that regularly, because living a life that is truly full of gratitude makes life much easier to cope with. That's just the physics of our human being.

[Jonathan] (47:16 - 47:27) The more we express our heartfelt gratitude to God, the more we will see His boundless care for us. How readily and often do I express such deep gratitude?

[Rick] (47:28 - 48:07) If you want to experience God's boundless care, work on boundless gratitude, because when you recognize something--when you truly recognize it--it means that much more. Those are the gifts that we are given from above. We need to recognize them so they can really sink in to our very lives.

Final point here: Faith-based gratitude leads to a life of joy and of strength. For this, we're going to Nehemiah 8:9-10. The context of this is, against all odds,

after the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, the people met together to worship God again. This is in the time of Nehemiah. Nehemiah 8:9-10:

[Jonathan] (48:07 - 48:33) "Then Nehemiah...said to all the people, 'This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.' For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the Law.

Then he said to them, 'Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.'"

[Julie] (48:34 - 48:52) The people of Israel had just heard the Law read aloud after years of neglect. Their first reaction was sorrow and weeping, realizing how far they had strayed. But instead of dwelling on their guilt and their failure, they were redirected to give thanks for God's mercy and restoration.

[Rick] (48:53 - 49:06) It just is such a great example of however far we've fallen, we should feel sorry for that. But that sorrow should come always back to gratitude for the deliverance of God through Christ. Always back to gratitude.

Always back to gratitude.

[Jonathan] (49:07 - 49:22) Even when confronted with our shortcomings, the joy of the Lord and His mercy and compassion are an overriding compensation. Do I remember to show gratitude in the midst of my shortcomings?

[Rick] (49:23 - 50:01) You keep asking and we need to keep answering. Okay, what if I'm falling short? Well, let's look at this.

Looking at all these several aspects of gratitude can cause us to feel inadequate. I mean, it's like, but there's so much responsibility to feel gratitude. What am I supposed to do?

We can feel inadequate in our habits of gratitude, but fear not, because there's a powerful solution for this. It has everything to do with what Jesus did for us and how he connected us to our heavenly Father. There's a tremendous gift here that can help us with this gratitude issue.

Hebrews 4:15-16:

[Jonathan] (50:01 - 50:22) "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

[Rick] (50:22 - 51:09) Mercy and grace to help. Why? Because we have Jesus as our high priest who can understand our weaknesses because he was a human being.

He got the humanness that we've got, and he showed us how to deal with it. It's also interesting to me how in the ten lepers story, they were all sent to the priest, right, to be proclaimed healed. Jesus is our high priest.

What does that tell you? That he grants us the healing, and he confirms the healing in both sides of this thing. It's a big thing, folks.

Our gratitude is so, so, so important, and it's such a glorious place to live our lives. Finally, Finding Gratitude in the Face of Our Adversity:

[Julie] (51:10 - 51:31) Jesus healed ten lepers, and only one came back to express his thanks. While this did not in any way minimize the gift of healing to the other nine, it did maximize the healing of the one. His physical healing and subsequent gratitude and praise of God lifted him to a life where spiritual blessings could now begin to flow freely to him.

[Jonathan] (51:32 - 51:48) Let us continually be reminded of our deliverance from spiritual leprosy and daily stand in awe of all we are blessed with. We have to remember to run back and say thank you, just like the Samaritan leper.

[Rick] (51:48 - 52:38) Don't walk, don't saunter, don't think about it. Run back! Run back because the deliverance that we have been given and the promises that we've been given to be with Jesus, the opportunities that we've been given to be lifted out of the mess of our own lives and have God's grace cover that through Jesus' sacrifice is incomprehensible.

Let our lives drip with gladness and gratitude every single day, just like the Samaritan leper. Think about it. Folks, we love hearing from our listeners.

We welcome your feedback and questions on this episode and other episodes at ChristianQuestions.com. Coming up in our next episode: "What Really Happened to Enoch, Moses and Elijah?"

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