Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture for the week is Luke 17:11-19.

As Jesus is traveling toward Jerusalem, ten lepers call on Him for mercy. He takes time to offer them healing, and tells them to show themselves to the priests, according to the law. As they go, the healing occurs. One of them, a Samaritan, returns to offer thanks and praise.

Were the other nine not thankful to God for the blessing they had received? The scripture doesn’t tell us that, only that they did not return as did the Samaritan. Many scholars think that the other nine were Jewish and were intent on fulfilling the law, which required them to appear before the priests in order to rejoin society after being healed. Perhaps their focus was on going back home, perhaps they offered thanks to God when the priests ruled they could come back, we really don’t know.

We do know that the Samaritan man recognized the gift he had received and returned to show his thankfulness. Jesus is showing us that our connection to God is more important than our connection to ceremony and organization. When we get wrapped up in the form, we sometimes forget the faith. This is what Jesus says to the man in verse 19, “Your faith has made you well”. We need to remember that our love of God and each other is the basis for all our other connections.

Heavenly Father, we sometimes let our concern for structure override our caring, making our order of worship the worship of order. Help us to see that our relationships are more important than our organizations. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Luke 17:11-19.

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Luke 17:17-19

Jesus had sent the ten lepers to see the priests before their healing had occurred, but when this man realized he had been healed, he turned back to give thanks for that gift. Jesus asks (rhetorically of course), where the other nine are, and points out the fact that the one who returned is a Samaritan. There is something for us to observe and learn here, or Jesus wouldn’t have called it to our attention.

The other nine were doing what Jesus told them, going to show themselves to the priests. However, obedience is only part of the equation. Jesus wants us to be obedient, but in that path lies a relationship with God that leads to our understanding of all He does for us and our natural reaction to that knowledge should be thanks and praise.

Sadly we don’t always obey, but when we do, are we being blindly obedient? Do we see the requirement and not the blessing? Jesus points out that this Samaritan, whom the crowd assumes has no relationship with God, is the only one who has honored that relationship by expressing thanks.

Gracious God, how often You have blessed us and we have not responded with our thanks. Forgive our lack of connection and vision, help us to see Your loving hand in our lives and be truly grateful. Amen.

Our scripture for this week is Luke 17:11-19

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.
Luke 17:15-16

The healing Jesus promised the ten men has occurred, and one turns back to offer praise and thanks – “and he was a Samaritan” (v. 16). As we have heard before, Samaritans worshipped differently and did not keep the same laws as did the Jews. This man as a Samaritan leper may have been seen as “doubly unclean”.

That didn’t matter to Jesus. He didn’t ask where they worshipped God – or even if they worshipped God. He offered them God’s love and healing not because of who they were here but because they were God’s creation.

Jesus teaches us to share God’s love in the same way, not asking who they are or determining if they “deserve” it, but giving because God has given to us first. Our love for others is commanded, but it should be part of of us because they are part of us.

Loving Lord, help us to see everyone as our brothers and sisters. May we follow the example Jesus set, loving everyone and sharing Your gifts freely. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Luke 17:11-19.

When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
Luke 17:14

We have to pay attention to catch the lesson in this verse. When a leper was cured, according to the law they had to show themselves to a priest before they could be allowed back into society. Jesus tells them to go to the priests before the healing occurs, and as they obeyed Him, they were cleansed.

Sometimes God’s gifts work this way. We must have faith that He is constant in His love to us and when a promise is made, it will be kept. We just may not see it at first.

These men were confident that if they obeyed Jesus, they would be healed. It hadn’t happened yet, but because He told them to do what healed lepers do, they believed He would make them well. Jesus teaches us to act like the forgiven children of God, because in our obedience, we are forgiven.

Gracious God, sometimes we don’t see the “proof” of what you are doing in our lives, and in our shortsightedness, we fail. Help us to see the truth of Your blessings to us even when our human senses say it isn’t happening, help us to trust and obey. Amen.

Our scripture for this week is Luke 17:11-19.

As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” Luke 17:12-13

People recognized that Jesus was special. He not only taught about God’s love, He showed us how it was to be shared. In this passage we hear of a group of men asking Jesus for pity, in their hope that He would heal them.

These men had no previous relationship with Jesus, many of the recipients of His healing did not. Jesus teaches us that He is ready and able to help us, no matter what our situation. He calls us to be ready to do the same, to offer God’s love and care without analyzing or judging.

Jesus didn’t require those who came to Him be believers, but when people saw the healing with which He blessed them, even those around them found it hard not to believe. We need to see healing around us and know that it is a gift from Him. We also need to share that love and comfort in the belief that He will bless our efforts for others, even as He healed others Himself.

Loving Lord, we know that You love and heal us, and that You call us to do the same for others. Help us to be the messengers of the Good News, bringing comfort and hope to all Your children. Amen.

This week’s scripture is Luke 17:11-19.

11Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. 13They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 14When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Jesus was out in the world, meeting people and ministering to them. This is the example He gave us, to be part of God’s creation, engaged with our brothers and sisters, aware of their issues and needs. It is no surprise that people came to Him to be comforted, healed and forgiven.

Jesus says we are to go and do likewise, sharing the truth of God’s love with the whole world. We may say “but Lord, we don’t have the gifts You have to do what You do”. Jesus knows our human limitations, but He calls us to use the gifts we have to make a difference.

Our call is to be like Jesus. Only He can be Lord and Savior, but we too are made in God’s image and given the ability to comfort, heal and forgive. We must obey the command He gave to love one another and make disciples of all the world.

Heavenly Father, we are thankful for Your gift of Jesus to show us how to live. Bless our work to be like Him, and to share the Good News always and everywhere. Amen.

As humans we always seem to be looking for more – more money, more things, more attention. We believe that if we have more everything, life will be better somehow. The disciples asked Jesus to give them more faith, (Luke 17:5) which seems a reasonable goal, but Jesus uses their request to show them that more is not always what we should be seeking.

Jesus gives them a gentle rebuke, saying if their faith were only as big as a tiny mustard seed, great things could be accomplished. He explains that it is not a large faith that is needed, but a faith that works, an effective faith, a connection to the Lord that gives us the confidence to go and do what is required of us. Faith is not a commodity to be piled up like earthly goods to say “I have more than you”.

Faith is difficult to describe and perhaps that is why the disciples ask for more, if you don’t feel you have it, you must need an additional portion. Jesus teaches that faith is not something to have, but something to use. It is God’s gift in us to accept a relationship with Him that is unique in all of creation. Faith is trusting that God is constant and reliable, that we can be assured of His promise if we use our faith to do His will.

Loving Lord, we want to be in connection with You and all our brothers and sisters. Help us to be faithful servants, using the gifts we have been given for the good of Your kingdom. Amen.

5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. 7“Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Luke 17:5-10

Jesus has a single lesson in mind with this story, but He makes us think in two different directions to reach the conclusion. It begins with a question about faith, and the disciples desire for more of it. Jesus replies that they don’t need more faith, but they do need genuine faith, a strong and true belief in what God calls them to do.

The second part of the teaching calls to our attention the fact that we are servants of God’s purpose, gifted and directed by Him, with no power or credit of our own. As His servants, we must perform the tasks appointed for us, not for glory or praise to ourselves but because God has made us for this. We must be humble in our effort as we only do that which He created us to do.

We are taught that even a little authentic faith will empower us to do the marvelous deeds that God intends for us. The only thing we need more of is our involvement in the kingdom work and the sharing of His love to all people. Faith is the fuse that will ignite our discipleship!

Gracious God, we are Your servants, only able to do that which You ordain for us. May our faith be humble and strong to accomplish Your will, and keep us in Your love to be spread across the earth. Amen.

10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Luke 17:10

We have been taught what God expects of us in so many lessons, in so many ways, and yet we still ask “what would You have us do, Lord?” as if we’d never heard. In Deuteronomy 6:5 we hear “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” In Matthew 22:39 Jesus tells us “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Finally, just before He returns to Heaven Jesus commands us “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

These are the duties God expects of us – to love Him, to love each other and to share the Good News with all the world. It sounds so simple, why then is it so hard for us to live out the expectations God has for us? It is difficult because we are always looking for the easy way, a shortcut, some method of gaining the reward without the work.

Don’t let the ways of the world change you, you have been created to change the world! Instead of finding ways to avoid our duty, let us seek those people and situations that are difficult, knowing these are the ones God sends us to find. Jesus didn’t promise it would be easy, He said if we follow Him we must be ready to bear our own cross. When we accept these responsibilities, we become God’s servants, living out the expectations He has for us.

Loving Lord, we have been called to be part of what You are doing in the world. Make us aware of those who need our attention and help us to share Your love, fulfilling the responsibility You have given us. Amen.

8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?
Luke 17:8-9

Jesus uses some hard words here. Do we expect gratitude when we only do what we are required to do? Often it seems that way. We want to be appreciated for what we do, and sometimes we selfishly want to be noticed for what we do.

Jesus tells us that, like servants, when we do God’s work we are only doing what we have been told to do. He teaches that we should be humble as servants, not wanting recognition for merely doing what is expected of us. This is sometimes a difficult thing. We are so used to the attention of the world, we expect that God will praise us for everything we do.

The truth is that God does love us for who and what we are, His children. Our work for His kingdom is appreciated, but it is also expected. We owe Him everything, doing what is asked of us is only our duty.

Heavenly Father, we are Yours and we offer our love and praise. Help us to be good stewards of all Your gifts, using them well and in humble service for all our brothers and sisters. Amen.