Luke 17:19

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 17:19

“And He said to him, Rise, and go your way; your faith has made you well.” – Luke 17:19   

Today’s verse is an account of the healing of ten men who were afflicted with an infectious skin disease commonly known as leprosy.  In Israel during this time, when a person developed a rash or skin disorder, they had no option but to go to the priest for them to examine it. God declared the following to Moses and Aaron. “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. And 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.” Leviticus 13:2-3. This was done in order to keep the leprosy from spreading throughout Israel. Unfortunately, those who were infected may have a life sentence upon them, for they had to be isolated and many times lived as outcasts until they died.

Now these ten men who were probably part of a leper colony approached Jesus but remained at a distance as per the law. They called out to Him, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Luke 17:13. And without seeming to do anything to heal them, Jesus merely gave the instruction to go show themselves to the priest. “And when He saw them, He said to them, Go and show yourselves to the priests. And it came about that as they were going, they were cleansed.” Luke 17:14. Note, before the men left, the men were still lepers. Nothing had yet changed. However, in faith, they obeyed, and as they began to walk to the priest, they were healed.

Now, we have no idea how far they had gone from Jesus before they were healed.  However, they were all healed at the same time.  What is sad here is that only one of them came back to Jesus after seeing he was healed, and this was the Samaritan. A Samaritan is an inhabitant of the city or region of Samaria, which lies between Judea and Galilee. The Jews labeled these non-Jews Samaritans, as a term of reproach and contempt.

Jesus expressed disappointment that the other nine had not thought to give praise to God for their healing. “And Jesus answered and said, Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? Was no one found who turned back to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” Luke 17:17-18. From this we learn that God desires for us to express our thankfulness to Him for all He does in our lives. Jesus’ last words to the grateful Samaritan imply that this man was healed both physically and spiritually. After the man was already healed of leprosy, Jesus said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Luke 19:19. It could be that the man’s return to fall at Jesus’ feet gave him spiritual wholeness in addition to the physical wholeness he had received.

Even though Jesus did not withhold healing from the Jews, who had the faith to do what He said, they  did not take the time to thank Him. He made a point of noting their lack of gratefulness. Not improbable is the view that Luke here, using this as an example, wished to place in a clear light the unthankful attitude of the Jews towards the Savior, which showed itself throughout Jesus’ time here. John Peter Lange put it this way. “The ingratitude of the nine, in contrast with the one Samaritan, bears so far as this a symbolical character, that it gives an example of the unfavorable reception which the Savior ever found in Israel, in opposition to the higher esteem which was accorded Him in the heathen world.”

When God blesses us with a miracle of healing, good opportunities, or anything else that is to our benefit, we must take time to acknowledge the Giver and not just the gifts. Especially if these gifts are beyond our ability to secure ourselves. True faith which leads to salvation, whether our soul, body, or even our life here, should be intimately connected with glorying God. No matter which, He is deserving of all thankfulness, glory, and praise.  We must take time daily to give Him thanks for all good things He gives us, for we cannot earn them, but by His grace and love He gives them to us. Always remember this, for He deserves it all.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Micah 7:8

(Editor’s Note: This devotion is also written by Christiaan as William is still hospitalized, but stable and doing well.)

Verse of the Day Devotion – Micah 7:8 (ESV)

Rejoice not over me, O my Enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me. – Micah 7:8 (ESV)

Times always seem to be tough for God’s chosen people – typically because they had a propensity to abandon God and worship false idols. Micah is writing to the separated from Israel country of Judah at around 750 BC. Micah is calling out the wealthy who actively oppressed the poor and called for them to change their ways. But in between the famous verses about doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with your God and throwing our sins into the depths of the ocean sits this gem about sitting in darkness.

It’s been a rough number of years for my family, and the concept of hope has been intriguing. So, when I was reading in a devotional and I saw this verse was associated with the idea of concept it really resonated with me. I think Hope is something we often overlook. Much like breathing, we don’t think about it, or associate our feelings or actions with it, until it’s hampered or we lose it. But hope can be something tangible, after all, according to Jyn Erso, in the movie Rogue One “Rebellions are built on hope!”.

In 2013, just before things started going really crazy. I went to a concert of my favorite band, Five Iron Frenzy and I saw a shirt there that had a picture of a bird on it and it said, Hope Still Flies! it’s a line from their song, ‘A Dark and Stormy Night’ “I’ve been waiting, in half hearted sleep… just for hoping that hope still flies…” another line in that song is “I know that Hope has not forgotten me.”

Micah ends his series of messages in chapter 7 speaking a message of tempered hope (kinda like Théoden eh?) . Depending on the translator, the tenses of the writing could be closer to, “Our enemies have no reason to gloat over us…” It’s like he realizes he’s been hard on the people of Judah and doesn’t want them to become despondent. He’s reminding them that, much like in the past when they’ve fallen, they’ve gotten back up.

Much like with David (I previously wrote on Psalms 3:3 and 3:4), one of the things that I find so inspiring is the surety to which they speak. Micah acknowledges two big things. First, that there will be a falling. Something, someone, or someone’s (I don’t think that’s a real term) will fall. And that there will be times where we are in darkness – spiritual, financial, health wise… or maybe just actual darkness.

But he with complete surety mentions that when he falls, he will rise. And when in darkness, the LORD will be his light. It’s not a well-intentioned, mostly true, but pseudo humble, “For though I fall, I may, if God is willing, and I choose to walk in his grace which I don’t deserve as a wretched sinner who God could and should smite with the holy fires of purification, rise again.” or “Though I sit in darkness, spiritually the Lord will help me keep a smile on my face.”

No, when we fall we WILL rise. When we’re in darkness God WILL be our light. Too often Christians give the world and other Christians confusing and often conflicting messages. Some people walk away from some popular TV preachers thinking that God wants what is best for us, and therefore won’t let us suffer, or that when we become a Christian, our lives will be happy sunshine and rainbows unless we sin, in which case God will make us suffer.

There is a reason why Samwise Gamgee, in Lord of the Rings, is one of the most universally beloved characters in all of literature, and I think it’s because he remains hopeful regardless of the situations. Frodo even remarks, “Nothing ever dampens your spirits, does it, Sam?”

It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy. How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened.

But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.

– Samwise Gamgee to Frodo Baggins, The Two Towers.

One of the reasons I chose to write this Hope trilogy, the two verses from Psalms and this one, is because they’re something that I’m going through and I’m sharing with you what I’m learning. As I’m sure many of ya’ll know our founder William is my dad. He’s in the hospital for an unknown amount of time, for something pretty scary. So I’ll end taking a cue from micah.

May we have the surety that David, Micah, and Samwise have that darkness must pass and in the case of David and Micah that God will be our light and rescue. May we have surety that no matter what we go through, that we can have hope in God’s unchangeable character and if he did it for David, he can do it for us. But perhaps most importantly, may we understand that it’s ok if we don’t have that surety but, thankfully, it has no effect on the reality that we can have it.