Revcort's Ramblings

Scripture Focus — Luke 17:12–16 (ESV)
“And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers… And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back… and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.”

Devotional Thought
We often read the story of the ten lepers and immediately shake our heads at the nine who never returned to Jesus. But before we scold those who didn’t come back, it’s worth pausing to look closely at the one who did.

This man realized what Jesus had done for him. In his world, lepers were the most rejected people in society—unclean, unwanted, and untouched. They lived at a distance from both God’s house and God’s people. When Jesus healed those ten men, He didn’t just restore their health; He restored their humanity, their community, and their hope.

So why did only one return? Surely the others were thankful to be free from disease. But the Samaritan’s gratitude ran deeper. He understood the magnitude of the mercy he had received. He knew what it was to be an outsider, doubly rejected—first as a leper, then as a Samaritan. Grace feels different when you know how undeserving you are.

This same reality still shapes our gratitude today. Some people simply don’t see the depth of their spiritual need. The Pharisees didn’t. They looked clean enough on the outside and believed they had little to repent of. In their minds, the tax collectors and sinners around them were the ones who needed mercy. Jesus corrected their blindness with one sentence: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.”

The truth is, those who recognize how desperately they need grace are always the most grateful when they receive it.

Many Christians today quietly assume their sins weren’t as serious as others. They grew up in church. They avoided scandal. They weren’t drunkards, thieves, or criminals. Without saying it out loud, they may imagine Jesus didn’t have to reach quite as far to save them.

But Scripture tells a different story.

Some sins are obvious; others are hidden behind polished exteriors. But all sin separates us from God. All of us have fallen short of His glory. And every one of us was “dead in trespasses and sins” before Christ made us alive. Our spiritual condition was just as desperate as the openly rebellious sinner who shocks society.

When we understand that—truly understand it—gratitude becomes our natural response.

Like the Samaritan leper, we fall at Jesus’ feet not merely because our lives have improved, but because we’ve been rescued from death itself. He did not cleanse us of a skin disease that would ruin this life; He cleansed us of a spiritual disease (sin) that would ruin our eternity. He did not only restore us to society; He reconciled us to God. He did not simply improve our circumstances; He saved us from hell.

Reflection Questions

1. Do you see your former condition the way Scripture describes it—dead in sin apart from Christ?
2. In what ways has Jesus shown mercy to you that you haven’t thanked Him for recently?
3. What would it look like for you to “return to Jesus” today with fresh gratitude?

Prayer
Father, open my eyes to the depth of the mercy You have shown me. Remind me of the darkness You saved me from and the grace that made me alive. Teach me to return to You again and again with gratitude, humility, and praise. Let my life echo the heart of the one who fell at Jesus’ feet, giving thanks. Amen.