Luke 17:11-19 (NRSV)
Read Luke 17:11-19 on biblegateway.com
Verse 11On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. Verse 12As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, Verse 13they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" Verse 14When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. Verse 15Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. Verse 16He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Verse 17Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Verse 18Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Verse 19Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."
Devotion
“When he saw them”… What did Jesus see? Did he see ten huddled masses of dis-eased flesh? Or did he see ten children, cleansed and whole?
The coach in me desires to plant positive images. When calling a time-out I would say, “Serve it to number 8,” as opposed to, “Whatever you do, don’t serve the ball into the net.” The mind cannot reverse the image planted by merely placing a “don’t” within the image expressed. The image that stays in the mind is the ball going into the net. For positive realities, positive images are to be planted.
Christ’s healing is at work in God’s missional vision, which redeems our vision to see God’s healing at work in ourselves and all around us. Truly thank God for vision rooted in faith. Plant this vision and see what takes shape.
Prayer
Almighty Lord, heal my vision so that I may see as you see. Amen.