Midweek Message: The Other Good Samaritan

Luke 17:15-16 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.  He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. (NIV)

            In many years of ministry, I have seen people who were truly thankful to God for help and healing. Their lives were changed in a single moment, so they devoted themselves to worshiping and serving God for the rest of their days. I, also, am one of them because when God heard my cry for help about my alcoholism, He graciously answered my anxious prayer by restoring me physically, mentally, and above all, spiritually. I was made into a new person and decided to follow Jesus for the rest of my life.

            The other Good Samaritan in the Bible passage from Luke 17:11-19 does the same. He is one of ten lepers who is miraculously healed by Jesus. He is sent to get this confirmed by a local priest so that he can rejoin his family and community. But as soon as he realizes that he has been healed of that terrible painful, disfiguring disease, he stops running away from Christ and returns to give Him thanks. He knows the source of his cure, so rather than going immediately to his priest and family, he humbly thanks Jesus by falling on his knees before Him, glorifying and praising God loudly.

            Jesus appreciates this act of gratitude, but He is also perplexed. The other nine are nowhere to be seen, even though they are all His own people. Only this Samaritan is grateful for what has occurred; only this outsider recognizes what Christ has miraculously done for al ten lepers.

            I have also seen people who have been restored physically, whose prayers for healing have been answered perfectly, whose worries and anxieties, issues and illnesses have been positively dealt with by God and yet they remain thankless. Instead of returning to Christ and worshiping Him, they take their cure for granted and get on with their lives, focusing on themselves first and ignoring any notion of recognizing what God has mercifully done in them. It’s sad to see and very disappointing, but Christ also experienced this many times throughout His life.

            Wherever we are and however we feel today, let’s not forget what Christ has done in each of our lives. Let’s be thankful that we exist even for another day and make time to be grateful to God for all that He has graciously, and perhaps even miraculously, done for us.

Point to ponder: How has God positively changed my life? How do I show Him my gratitude?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, there are many times that You have helped us throughout our lives. You have listened to our prayers and enabled us to overcome illnesses and issues that have seriously troubled us. May we never take Your compassion and grace for granted. May we also seek to worship and glorify You for the rest of our days. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Midweek Devotion: Breakfast Buddies - John 21:12

 Here's today's short Midweek video devotion called "Breakfast Buddies," which is based on John 21 v 12. The text is below the video box. :)

John 21:12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. (NIV)

 One of the things that I miss dearly at the church is our monthly Men’s breakfast. About a dozen of us guys get together to sit down to a delicious breakfast which two of the group carefully prepare. We typically eat well and laugh well – sometimes at the pastor’s expense – and it is a great support group for all of us. Once this pandemic is over, I’ll be looking forward to be sharing breakfast with those guys in the church fellowship hall.

 I guess that’s why I like this post-resurrection story of Jesus having breakfast with the disciples. I can imagine that after their initial shock and surprise, they would share some laughter and light-hearted ribbing – probably at Peter’s expense – in order to rebuild their ties of friendship and faith. It seemed to be important to Jesus to share this moment with His friends. I think all of us will be happy to do something similar when we get through this present crisis.

 So, instead of dwelling on our current predicament, let’s look forward to those food and faith-sharing times when we will re-experience the laughter and love of friends in church together.

 Prayer: Lord God, You know how much we miss our church sisters and brothers and that we yearn to be in fellowship together. Please keep us safe throughout this pandemic and bring us to a time when we can thankfully be with one another gain. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Mid-Week Devotion: Way to Go - Psalm 32:8

God is willing to help and guide us through this unsettling time.
A short devotion based on Psalm 32 v 8.